At the next meeting you attend, look around at some of the regulars. If your experience matches mine, you’ll notice a particular body type common in recovering addicts. “Doughy” comes to mind. I don’t want to be too critical about it because the majority of middle aged Americans fit the same description.
But here’s the deal – exercise has been shown to not only help you in recovery, but actually prevents addiction going in. Don’t believe me? The stats show that athletic people suffer a lower rate of addiction. Not enough? How about an experiment with rats?
A study from 2008 (Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence) compared two sets of rats – one that had access to an exercise wheel and used it regularly, and another sedentary group. Each group was then provided with a cocaine solution they pushed a lever to get. This experiment measured just how many lever pushes a rat would do in a row to get the drug. Exercising rats stopped at about 70 pushes. That’s a lot, but the fat and happy rats went up to a phenomenal 250 pushes!
But all that aside, there’s a better reason to get out and move your butt a bit. Addiction takes both a physical and mental toll. It wrecks our bodies and makes us old before our time. Now, contrast this with getting out in the fresh air and working muscles. What kind of mental picture do you have of the slouch on the couch verses someone who jogs, swims or cycles?
We need exercise, our bodies need it. Here are the benefits I’ve noticed. I sleep better, I wake up refreshed, I feel better and I’ve lost a long list of minor aches and pains. I didn’t lose any weight (I could hardly afford that) but what I’m carrying is useful muscle instead of baggage.
The neat thing is that once you get “into” recovery, exercise is another step upward – a way to keep the improvements going and the good feelings coming. Just the increased confidence and drive are worth the effort. It adds another dimension to your life – a positive and a good dimension, something to be proud of in a situation with few things to be proud about.
So color me pro-exercise. And when you jog past my slow motion semi-stroll, say hi.
