Wellness for Recovery and Addiction Relapse Prevention
What does wellness mean to you? The absence of wellness is clearly felt when we are ill, anxious or depressed, when life seems to be passing us by. True holistic wellness encompasses mind, body and spirit, allowing the individual to live in the moment, to enjoy his or her capacity for physical activity, to savor a sense of purpose and a relationship with self and others.
Where are you in your wellness journey? Sally is an alcoholic in early recovery. She is 52 years old, divorced, and has high blood pressure that is treated though medications. In residential treatment, Sallie met with a nutritionist, and developed a healthy eating plan. Her wellness plan included a step-up exercise routine, which gradually eased her into playing tennis again, an earlier love. Stretching often starts her day. Sally decided to join the local Y, where she can play tennis at an appropriate level. Sally’s life includes time for exercise, social interaction and her AA support group.
Finding balance: easier said than done Excessive exercise can go hand in hand with other addictions, such as eating disorders, and substance addictions may cross over to exercise abuse. Just like those who are addicted to alcohol or other chemicals , exercise abusers experience withdrawal when they aren’t able to work out. Symptoms may include sleeping problems, muscle soreness, irritability mood swings and changes in appetite. A person may engage in obsessive exercise even when injured or ill.
Former health columnist Jane Brody admitted in a 2005 column that a regular ten-year running habit, exacerbated by daily games of singles tennis and other bone-jarring exercise left her “bandy-legged” and hobbled with painful arthritis in her knees. As she said, “Fit is one thing: Obsessive exercise is another.” Just as there are triggers for chemical addiction relapse, be aware of exercise abuse triggers and develop a healthy coping strategy.
To strive for balance, take time to learn the art of mindfulness. This means to live in and appreciate the moment, not to constantly anticipate the future or dwell on the past.
A main tenant of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is to learn mindfulness and acceptance, which helps an individual to better meet the challenges of daily life, and eases anxiety, cravings and mood swings. Practicing mindfulness can be integrated into physical activity. When you take a walk, notice the environment around you. You might take along a paperback and stop to read for a while. Or plan a walk several times a week with a friend. Maybe this is the time you walk the dog. To get some aerobic benefit from the walk, attain a comfortable pace in which you can carry on a conversation without panting. If you walk a treadmill, put time limits on it. Put a book holder on your treadmill and read a chapter, or watch the nightly news.
Pilates strives for balance, flexibility and a strong muscle core along the spinal column. Most of the exercises are low impact and partially weight-bearing.
Tai Chi is actually a form of Qigong, a system known for energy healing in China. Qigong has many forms and actually been shown to ease emotional reactions to stress.
With its flowing, gentle movements, Tai Chi is as beautiful to watch as it is soothing to practice. It is usually considered physically safe, although those with heart or spine problems should check with their physicians.
Try Tai Chi to:
- Reduce stress
- Increase feelings of well being
- Increase energy, agility and flexibility
- Improve muscle strength
Tai Chi has also been found effective in reducing anxiety and depression. It improves balance and coordination, which reduces falls, and can improve the length and quality of sleep as well as improve daytime alertness.
Tai Chi lowers blood pressure, and may slow bone loss in post-menopausal women.
From stress-busting to strength building to fun For strength training, weight-bearing exercise and aerobics, consider overall health before starting a regime. A personal trainer can develop an individualized program for you based on your health parameters. Injury can result from attempting to reach beyond current capabilities.
There are a myriad of exercise choices. Why not try something new? Kickboxing is stress busting, and you need to be in good physical condition to start this a high impact, aerobic strength-training sport.
Try Salsa. Dance classes offer great exercise.
Try the WII. Enjoy one of the most popular exercise phenomenons in years- Fitness games with the WII . Some Y’s and other fitness facilities have the Nintendo game consoles and WII games. Balance and other exercises can be shared with others.
Get in the water: Aquatic aerobics build strength with low impact, and can offer therapeutic relief those who suffer from osteoarthritis.
The question about any physical exercise becomes: will you do it? Maybe gardening and a walk are therapeutic for you. If you have been an obsessive exerciser in the past, you may need to develop a realistic plan with the help of a wellness counselor. We thrive when we enjoy doing the activity.
