Workout Plan After Getting Out Of Rehab

Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 11:01 am

Health is precious. Once you are on the journey to regain control of your life, it’s essential also to start taking steps towards building a healthier life, and unsurprisingly, a healthier life requires you to incorporate physical activity into your routine.

You can start with basic exercises but before we get into that, let’s look into the perks of exercising to strengthen your willpower!

Benefits of Exercise

1. Improves Mood

Working out regularly may sound overwhelming or tiring for many, but research by the Harvard School of Public Health claims that exercise actually improves mood. Recent studies explain that physical activity aids the release of endorphins—a chemical that elevates your sense of well-being. With more endorphins in your bloodstream, you would feel less pain, less stressed, and more in control of your life. It can also lessen anxiety and depression.

2. Prevents Relapse

When you’re living your life stress-free, the chances of relapsing due to stress mismanagement decrease too. Moreover, exercising provides a nice distraction from triggers. A good workout routine where you are away from people, places, and things that might trigger you will help you stay sober. 

Moreover, with exercise being the main instigator of the brain’s reward system, you can manage your cravings easily. Many researchers have indicated that sobriety and abstinence rates stay high when exercise is a part of recovery. Even though working out helps prevent relapses significantly, relapsing is not a defeat. In an overwhelming situation where you might relapse, immediately seek support or check out inpatient and outpatient programs at a rehabilitation facility, such as Delphi Health Group.

3. Stronger Immune System

It’s a commonly known fact that exercise strengthens your body. According to The Office of Disease Prevention and Health, regular exercise can help your immune system to a great extent. Regular exercise improves endurance. It also enhances brain function and keeps conditions such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis away from you.

4. Improved Sleep

Recovery often translates to sleeping problems for many. Many people experience insomnia during withdrawal and treatment. 

Exercise can alleviate insomnia symptoms and help you get a good night’s sleep. According to research, the mode and intensity of physical activity are not significant factors. So, you can take part in lighter exercises like jogging or running and work towards getting a more comfortable sleep.

Creating a Workout Plan: Questions to Ask

When starting, there should be certain factors you should consider. Finding answers to these questions with the help of a professional health provider would be a great start. You could ask them the following:

1. What kind of exercises should I look into? Indoor or outdoor activities?
2. How often and long should I exercise?
3. How intense should my workout plan be? Is it better to start with low-intensity routines?
4. Should my workout routine be versatile? 
5. What realistic goals can I set and when will I start seeing improvement?

If you can afford one, working with a trainer, family member, or friend increases accountability and reduces the chances of slacking out.

Workout Routine Options

For most people, a thirty-minute workout routine is a great start. Yet, depending on your health, your doctor might give you a different timeframe. After considering your preferences, you can pick one of the many options available: 

Group/Team Sports

Exercising alone might be boring. Consider signing up for a local team sport. Team sports are not only more fun and entertaining, but you also get to make new friends. During your recovery, having this new social life can ease you back into living a normal life. 

This is also a great way to prevent yourself from going back to old social groups that might trigger a relapse. 

Yoga

If you would like to go for something more calming and focused, yoga works for people of all ages. Unlike other exercises, it isn’t competitive, and you can select settings based on your liking. Whether you want to do it alone in your apartment or join a local group, yoga fits either of your preferences. Moreover, the intensity level can vary depending on different movements or poses. 

Another reason to select yoga is that it is beginner friendly and requires nothing but a mat. It allows you to have more control over your routine and goals. It also helps you become more mindful, flexible, strong, and have better body balance. 

Walking

Walking requires nothing but shoes and willpower and is a great aerobic and strength endurance exercise. A regular 30-minute brisk walk improves bones, muscle power, cardiovascular fitness, and endurance. Although walking outdoors in a park is preferred, you can do it indoors too. Put on your favorite playlist, take your dogs for a walk, or join an early morning walking group.

Zumba/Dancing 

Zumba or any form of dancing brings more fun to the table. It still counts as an exercise, and you would be learning some new moves. Zumba is a medium-intensity Latin-inspired workout dance that can strengthen your core, glutes, and legs. If you like more high-energy activity and your joints don’t stop you from having fun, you should try Zumba. 

Other dances, unlike Zumba, can be low impact but might also involve more back core muscles. All forms of dances are aerobic and add to physical strength and flexibility. Dancing activities (including Zumba) are indoors and are mostly in a group. 

In Conclusion

Regular exercise can help you be functional and regain control of your physical and mental health. It can improve your mood, sleeping patterns, and overall well-being. Additionally, exercise strengthens your immunity and adds to your willpower. It could also prevent you from reverting to your old habits or relapsing. 

To make physical activities more enjoyable, find a workout partner who can hold you accountable and motivated. Go for walks, try yoga or take swimming classes together. Bonding while exercising to be better will also help you develop a better social life. Moreover, you can participate in team sports or join dance groups as they add the element of entertainment. 

Although establishing a workout routine might seem difficult, it is doable. You have it make it more fun activity instead of a chore. Your workout routine can vary from time to time; what matters is you take care of your health and your heart.