There are many types of therapy for addiction recovery. Finding the right treatment style for you or someone you love can be overwhelming. Often, a combination of multiple therapies is highly effective. Traditional therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can help clients shift their mindsets, understand addiction triggers, and change their behavior over time. Alternative therapies can be a great way to support recovery and help clients find activities and hobbies they love. Today, fitness therapy programs are a popular and effective way to help clients maintain sobriety.
If a young man in your life is living with addiction, call Red Oak Recovery® today. Our programs for men battling trauma, addiction, and mental health concerns include fitness therapy for addiction recovery. Call us today at 828.382.9699 to learn more about our programs.
What Is Fitness Therapy?
While there are many holistic therapies, fitness therapy focuses on physical exercise for addiction recovery. Fitness therapy combines psychology and physical activities to help clients connect to their bodies and implement tools from individual therapy into their lives. Exercise therapy may be one on one or group sessions. They can vary in style, duration, and activity. Some exercise therapy programs are more structured than others. Types of exercise may include:
- Group sports and games
- Yoga
- Rock climbing and bouldering
- Physical therapy
- Dance
- Swimming
- Group movement
Any physical exercise decreases stress and releases natural chemicals like endorphins. These and other chemicals can help clients manage their emotions and focus. Fitness therapy can also help clients stay engaged in the present moment and build mind-body awareness. When paired with behavioral therapy or other forms of talk therapy, clients experience effective holistic healing.
Benefits of Fitness Therapy
While most people were highly active as children, this can change over time. Increasingly sedentary lifestyles are common across the United States. Fitness therapy can help clients develop exercise routines, find activities they love and build healthy habits. During addiction recovery, creating a daily schedule helps clients minimize drug cravings and the risk of relapse. Benefits of fitness therapy include:
- Better quality sleep and mood
- Weight loss
- Improved strength and resilience
- Lower risk of diabetes and heart disease
- Higher stress tolerance
- Improved emotional regulation and judgment skills
- Mind-body awareness
Unlike school sports or other group athletics, fitness therapy takes the competition out of fitness. This can help clients build confidence and stress less while playing sports and other exercises. It can also reduce the overall stress of competition in daily life. Today, many people in recovery struggle with perfection, fear of failure, and the effects of prolonged stress. These feelings and fears are especially common with young men. Fitness therapy can help take away the pressure and remind clients that fitness can be as enjoyable as it was when they were children.
Call Red Oak Recovery® Now to Enroll
Fitness therapy is especially effective for young men battling addiction, trauma, and mental health issues. By removing competition, fitness therapy gives young men the opportunity to discover the personal benefits of exercise. At Red Oak Recovery®, our clients enjoy fitness therapy in the beautiful landscape of Asheville, North Carolina. Our comprehensive, holistic treatment center offers addiction support alongside dual diagnosis for young men.
With a focus on wilderness therapy, our clients strengthen their mind-body connection, destress, and discover their addiction triggers. Whether our clients are hiking or doing yoga, they build resilience and self-confidence at Red Oak. Our clients also enjoy a comprehensive family therapy program to help loved ones reconnect with new communication tools.
Ready to sweat at Red Oak Recovery®? Reach out to our staff today at 828.382.9699 to get started with our fitness therapy program.
