I am huge advocate for working out. For me, being active is pretty much non-negotiable.
Although it’s nice to burn calories and get stronger, or have more endurance, I think I workout for my mental health more than anything.
In fact, I’m certain that’s the case.
I’ve never been against a good sweat session. I ran cross country in high school, and for most of my adult life I’ve belonged to a gym and tried to fit in workouts a few times a week.
Even if I didn’t feel like going to the gym, I always felt better after at least doing a 20-minute video.
But when I got sober, my relationship with working out changed.
The first year of my sobriety I had a lot of pent up energy, and anger. The only way I could get out all of that energy and anger was through being physically active.
Feelings I had drunk away for years were popping up left and right. Sometimes it seemed like too much to process, so I found a solution that didn’t involve drinking. I just put on my headphones and ran.
I am so glad I tapped into this outlet early on. For those in early sobriety, I can’t recommend it enough.
Do your best to get out of the house and go on a walk, or do a workout video that you find fun. Don’t worry about doing it to improve your body, just do it to improve your spirit.
When you drink excessively over a long period of time, I believe you lose the important mind/body connection. You aren’t loving and honoring your body when you are pumping it full of toxic levels of alcohol on a regular basis.
In my experience, my body was screaming at me to stop. But in my addiction, I couldn’t even begin to hear it.
When I got sober, I looked at the body I neglected for a long time and just wanted to “fix” it. I wanted to get back in shape and be mobile again. That motivation got me moving, and through it I found something deeper.
I found a love and appreciation for a body that I had put through the ringer.
And my appreciation helps to keep me sober today.
I can easily remember a time when I shook so bad my legs would buckle beneath me. I couldn’t get up and down the small flight of stairs in my house because I was terrified I was going to fall under the strain.
There were countless days that I was terrified to walk to the mailbox. The 1-minute walk seemed like just too much.
Life is much different now. I am reminded of that daily when my alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. and I’m happy to get out bed and go to my morning workout.
Even if the scale doesn’t read exactly what I want, or the jeans are tighter than I’d like, I remember that I am blessed to just be able to move.
If you are in early sobriety and dealing with the normal amount of overwhelming angry/guilt/frustration/(insert any feeling here), I really suggest you give some cardio a try.
If you can, reach out to a friend that has included some form of workout into their life.
Maybe you can meet up for a walk around a park after work. I did that with a good friend a couple years ago. She wasn’t struggling with sobriety, she just wanted to drop a couple pounds.
We started to meet a couple nights after work to walk and catch up.
Soon those walks turned into jogs. Next we signed up for a Halloween 10k, and by the spring we did our first half marathon together. Because of her, I found a love for running I never thought would be in my nature!
Being sober opens you up for endless possibilities that you didn’t think were accessible. You have the beautiful option to reengage the mental/physical connection.
The possibilities are truly endless. To use a baseball analogy, you get one at-bat. Swing for the bleachers!
