Today’s studies show holistic and traditional therapies help people from all walks of life recover from addiction. By pairing behavioral therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with alternative therapies, clients heal trauma, change thought patterns, and develop healthy coping tools. Exercise therapy programs are an increasingly popular treatment for addiction recovery.
If you or someone in your life is struggling with addiction, an exercise therapy program can help. Call San Antonio Recovery Center today at 866.957.7885 to learn more about our comprehensive addiction recovery programs.
What Is Exercise Therapy for Addiction Treatment?
Today, there are many alternative therapies that help people living with addiction and co-occurring disorders. These therapies often focus on strengthening the mind-body connections, releasing soothing and relaxing chemicals in the brain, and building healthy habits. Exercise therapy is an alternative therapy focused on physical movement. Types of exercise therapy vary by program and location. City clinics often include yoga and indoor sports, while rural clinics use wilderness therapy techniques combined with exercise therapy. Many rehab and recovery centers now provide specific exercise programs to help clients reduce stress, practice mindfulness, balance hormones, and recover. These programs can include:
- Rock climbing
- Yoga
- Physical therapy
- Group sports
- Swimming
- Dance
- Group movement
- Wilderness therapy techniques
Any physical movement reduces stress, releases endorphins, and promotes calm. For many people, exercise can help with drug or alcohol cravings and promote healthy coping mechanisms. Often, exercise therapy is paired with individual, family, and group counseling. Both residential and outpatient rehab programs use exercise therapy to help clients recover and implement tools from behavior therapy into their daily lives. In these cases, cognitive-behavioral therapists can help clients change belief systems and strengthen their mind-body connection for overall health.
Benefits of Exercise Therapy for Addiction Recovery
While children are highly active, we often become more sedentary as adults. Therapeutic exercise can help people engage with fitness, process trauma, and find long-term stress relief. They may even find a new sport or activity they practice for years to come. Physical and psychological benefits of exercise therapy include:
- Weight loss
- Improved sleep
- Improved mood
- Increased bone density
- Increased metabolism
- Trauma processing
- Improved stress response
- Lower anxiety levels
- Improved judgment skills
- Mind-body awareness
- Increased confidence
- Better boundaries
Exercise therapy can reframe physical fitness. Without focusing on competition, weight, or other modern pressures of fitness, exercise therapy helps people connect to themselves through movement. They gain confidence, resilience, and a stronger understanding of their personal needs and boundaries. These changes help boost mood, stabilize mental health, and reduce cravings for drugs or alcohol. Exercise therapy for addiction is a fun, freeing, and personal way for people in recovery to develop their own holistic approaches to lifelong health and sobriety.
Start Exercise Therapy Today a San Antonio Recovery Center
Are you ready to learn more about exercise therapy? If you or someone in your life is living with addiction and co-occurring disorders, exercise therapy may be right for you. Call the San Antonio Recovery Center team today to learn more about our programs. With both evidence-based and alternative therapies from addiction recovery, the team at San Antonio Recovery is ready to help. Our programs include:
- 12 step programs
- 90-day detox
- Aftercare programs
- Women’s sober living
- Men’s rehab
- Partial hospitalization
- Residential rehab
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Long-term support
Our clients receive 24/7 care and can begin treatment right away at our San Antonio-based clinic.
Call San Antonio Recovery Center Now to Get Started
Exercise therapy for addiction can make a real difference in your recovery. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, reach out to San Antonio Recovery Center. Call us today at 866.957.7885 to speak with our staff.
