Health and wellness are vital elements of the sober recovery lifestyle. The concept of wellness embodies both physical and mental health. Often with addiction, clients lose sight of their physical health, letting their bodies succumb to their addiction alongside their minds. In recovery, it is important to rebuild and strengthen all parts of the person including their emotional-mental health and their physical health. During treatment, clients are constantly learning about what their bodies need, and this often includes dietary changes or exercise and activity changes. A health and wellness program can greatly benefit those in recovery as they begin to transform their lives fully.
First Steps Recovery offers a number of programs that involve health and wellness. A few of these programs are recreation therapy and physical therapy. The reason these are offered is that First Steps Recovery encourages whole-person healing that involves all aspects of the client. One of these aspects is the physical. Maintaining physical health is an important part of the recovery journey, and First Steps Recovery is dedicated to promoting that aspect of health.
The Importance of a Health and Wellness Program for Addiction Recovery
Since recovery is such a transformative period for clients, impacting all different areas of their lives in positive ways, considering health and wellness is crucial. Improving health and wellness is actually a major component of addiction recovery. Regaining this full sense of health is called remission. In long-term recovery, a person works to bring these new healthy habits into their lifestyle permanently. What’s more, leading a health-oriented life opens new doors to fulfillment and prosperity.
There are many ways to lead a life that exemplifies health and wellness. However, it is important to take baby steps when first in recovery and learn what feels best for one’s physical (and mental) body. For instance, some clients may find that gentle exercise is better for their body. Over time this may change as their bodies adjust to more improved physical well-being. Clients may then be able to take on more challenging exercise options.
This gradual improvement provides evidence for why a health and wellness program, or adjacent services, can be a stepping stone for clients as they enter their new lives. Also, many different pathways are available to clients for achieving long-term recovery and a strengthened sense of health and wellness.
Health and Wellness Program Adjacents at First Steps Recovery
First Steps Recovery promotes health and wellness through various services. Recovery is a learning process as well, and clients are given the opportunity every day to learn more about their bodies, minds, and spirits on a deeper level. Through different services for health and wellness, clients can begin to understand their bodies and their physical needs.
At First Steps Recovery, holistic care options are available for clients looking to explore their physical health and wellness in new ways. These programs include recreation therapy, physical therapy, and yoga therapy.
Recreation Therapy
While recreation therapy opens doors socially for clients, there are physical benefits as well. This recreation service at First Steps Recovery immerses clients in nature, allowing them to engage in hiking, boating, swimming, walking/jogging, exploration, and playing a team sport. Clients can also pursue more calming group activities outdoors. Recreation therapy promotes cooperation, community, and leadership. Alongside those blossoming traits, clients develop physical resilience as they are encouraged to push forward.
Recreation therapy provides clients with a good balance between focused activity and more relaxing moments when the group sits together. This form of therapy also helps clients explore new interests and passions. Ultimately, clients in recreational therapy improve their endurance, strength, and sense of competence.
Physical Therapy
Due to their addiction, clients may experience a lack of rest as well as a lack of good nutrition. Clients may be underweight, malnourished, or have poor muscle tone. What’s more, they may have skin problems, thinning hair, or dental issues.
Physical therapy can help with these issues. This type of therapy revolves around nutrition, supplementation, exercise, mental health, and building energy. While the body tends to heal quicker than the brain, feeding the body with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins is essential to healing the body after experiencing addiction.
The goal of physical therapy, overall, is to improve energy and boost mood. Nutrition is one element of this, and exercise is another. Regular physical activity increases oxygen flow in the bloodstream and brain and releases endorphins. Clients also build strength, endurance, and confidence during physical therapy. Usually, clients start with simple exercises, such as yoga, and progress from there.
Yoga Therapy
The First Steps Recovery yoga therapy helps clients work on strength, stability, posture, and flexibility. Yoga also requires clients to develop a better mind-to-body connection. Physically, yoga therapy assists with:
- Digestion
- Circulation
- Immunity
- Spinal alignment
- Aches and pains
- Energy levels
- Brain activity and chemistry
- Mood
- Stress and anxiety
- Discipline and impulse control
- Concentration and focus
- Blood pressure levels
- Spiritual growth
- Sense of empowerment
Each form of therapy offered at First Steps Recovery through its health and wellness program can improve one’s chances of experiencing a happy sober life.
Here at First Steps Recovery, we promote health and wellness by offering numerous holistic therapies revolving around physical well-being. Yoga therapy, recreation therapy, and physical therapy are three options you will be offered. When addiction is present, it can be very hard to maintain proper physical health. You can run into a number of issues, including dental problems or malnourishment. Recovery is a learning process for everyone, and finding what physical health standards best fit you is important. Nevertheless, physical health is one of the major components of recovery. You can experience many benefits from incorporating physical health-related therapies into your treatment plan. To learn more about health and wellness, please call (844) 489-0836.
