Would it surprise you to know that a physical fitness programme can help recovering addicts stay off drugs or alcohol? It is true. Physical fitness is a part of more recovery programmes today than it has ever been, thanks to the success stories of so many who have used regular exercise and proper nutrition integrated into their recovery journeys. At BlueSkies, we include a fitness programme in our treatments.

Our mindful health fitness programme uses a holistic approach to help us make healthier lifestyle choices. We combine fitness for all levels of physical ability with healthy eating, to help improve your body as well as your mind. We also include a more in depth understanding of how physical well being, contributes to emotional well being and sustain long term recovery.

We are not putting patients through daily 10-mile runs and an hour in the pool swimming laps. Rather, we help clients develop a personal fitness routine that enables them to get regular exercise and set achievable fitness goals. We believe regular exercise is an important part of a full and complete recovery.

At BlueSkies our Health Coach will support you in creating a personalised health plan which includes exercise. She takes a holistic approach in how she works and combines health education with physical movements.

You might be wondering how a personal fitness programme helps an individual in recovery. We do not know all the details, but ongoing research has given us a few clues. Below are some important aspects to fitness that we believe make this an important part of recovery:

• Fitness Mind-Set First and foremost, engaging in addictive behaviour is one of the most destructive things a person can do to his or her health. Someone who adopts a fitness mind-set is a person who now channels his or her energies into healthy living. This new way of thinking instantly give the recovering addict valid reasons to reject addictive behaviour.
• Pleasure Receptors It is well known that addictive behaviour is intrinsically linked to pleasure receptors in the brain. Nevertheless, what we have discovered with physical exercise is that certain kinds of exercises can stimulate the same pleasure receptors. In some people, regular exercise can be a very suitable replacement for addictive substances or behaviours and a means of staying healthy all the same time!
• Achievable Goals Research has revealed that addicts are more likely to achieve complete recovery if they have reasonable goals to work toward. Physical fitness goals are easy to establish and measure, making them the ideal goals to begin recovery with. As the recovering addict accomplishes his/her goals, the sense of achievement and satisfaction it brings offers further motivation to remain sober.
• Life Outlook Research has also shown that those who engage in regular exercise have a better outlook on life. As addiction recovery specialists, we know how important that new outlook is. We encourage fitness as a means of helping clients focus on the positive aspects of life.

Keep in mind that each person in recovery responds to exercise differently. So just as our therapeutic treatments are custom designed for each client, so are the fitness programmes we help individuals develop. We strive to make sure each individual is matched with a fitness programme appropriate to his or her circumstances.

BlueSkies is all about the holistic approach to addiction recovery. Part of this approach is to help our clients develop better lives through better health. Through personal fitness, we help clients establish a fitness mind-set, achieve reasonable goals, change their outlook on life, and address addictive behaviour by giving them something positive to focus on. Contact us to learn more about how a fitness programme can be part of your recovery.

We are here to help both addicts and their families make the necessary life changes to regain control. Our number one goal at BlueSkies is sobriety for you or that loved one you are concerned about.