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Addiction recovery is a challenging journey that requires mental, emotional, and physical resilience. One of the key pillars to build such resilience is fitness. Regular physical activity can play a transformative role in helping individuals navigate relapses, boost their self-esteem, combat depression, foster social connections, and improve overall health. If you’re ready to get started, this guide shared below by Studio 108 can show you how.

Navigating Relapses: The Rose of Rehab Centers

Relapse, as well as defining its stages, is often a part of the recovery process. It’s crucial not to view these moments as failures but as opportunities for learning and growth. Rehab centers provide a supportive environment where individuals can regain their footing after a relapse and many of them offer free substance abuse treatment. Incorporating fitness programs in rehab centers can significantly aid this process. Regular exercise can help manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. It also provides a healthy outlet to channel energy that might otherwise be used towards substance use. So, do research to find a rehab center that suits your needs, if necessary.

Elevating Self-Esteem and Confidence Through Fitness

Rebuilding self-esteem and confidence is critical during recovery. Fitness plays a significant role here by creating a sense of accomplishment. Each workout completed, and each goal reached, no matter how small, contributes to rebuilding an individual’s belief in their abilities. Exercise also improves physical appearance, leading to enhanced body image, which can further boost self-confidence. The feeling of getting stronger and healthier can be incredibly empowering, promoting a positive mindset that is crucial for recovery.

Exercise: An Ally Against Depression

Many individuals battling addiction also struggle with co-occurring mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Regular physical activity has been shown to have mood-enhancing effects, acting as a natural antidepressant. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators. It also promotes better sleep, which is often disrupted in individuals dealing with
addiction and mental health disorders. Achieving a good night’s sleep can significantly improve mood and energy levels.

Fostering Social Connections Through Physical Activity

Isolation can be detrimental, especially for those in recovery. Fitness offers opportunities to connect with others, whether it’s in a gym setting, a group fitness class, or a team sport. These social interactions can provide much-needed support and accountability, making the recovery journey less lonely. Moreover,
shared physical activities can create strong bonds between individuals, who can then lean on one another for support during challenging times. This sense of community can be incredibly beneficial for maintaining long-term sobriety.

Incorporating Fitness Into Your Daily Routine

The thought of starting a fitness routine can be daunting, especially during recovery. But fitness doesn’t always mean hitting the gym for hours. Starting with small changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a short walk, or doing some light stretching can make a big difference over time. The key is consistency. Regular physical activity can lead to significant improvements in physical and mental health, aiding the recovery process.

Reducing Bodily Inflammation: The Exercise Advantage

Chronic inflammation is a common issue among individuals with substance use disorders. Regular physical activity can help reduce inflammation in the body, improving overall health and well-being. Exercise stimulates the production of anti-inflammatory compounds in the body, helping to combat chronic inflammation. This can lead to improved immune function, better cardiovascular health, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases – all important factors for building a resilient recovery foundation.

Enhancing Lung Function With Regular Activity

Substance abuse can take a toll on lung health. Regular physical activity can help improve lung function, increasing the body’s efficiency in using oxygen and removing waste gases. This can lead to improved stamina, reduced fatigue, and better overall physical health.

Fitness is a vital component of a robust addiction recovery plan. From managing relapses to boosting self-esteem, combating mental health issues, fostering social connections, and improving overall health, regular physical activity can provide numerous benefits. While the road to recovery may be challenging, incorporating fitness into your daily routine can make the journey a little easier, paving the way for a healthier, sober life. If you’re ready to add yoga to your daily routine, you can get started with Studio 108. Explore the site to learn more about us!

Jennifer Miranda

Jenn took her very first yoga class in 2012 while searching for a fitness
routine that would improve her strength and flexibility. After that first class,
she got hooked. Yoga changed her life not only because of the physical
benefits of doing yoga but she also discovered that yoga has greatly improved
her mental focus and self-awareness. Because of this, she decided to share
her practice with others. Jenn completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training
in April 2017 and is a registered yoga instructor (RYT-200) with the Yoga
Alliance.

Jenn’s ultimate goal as a yoga teacher is to lead students towards a deeper
level of physical fitness and healthy lifestyle along with mental peace. She
loves to help beginners feel comfortable in their practice and learn essential
postures while motivating and challenging the more experienced yogis and
ensuring a safe practice for everyone. Maintaining her own personal practice
while learning and gaining inspiration from other yogis enables her to design
innovative, energetic, and fun sequences that are fit for all levels.

Jenn is also a professional portrait photographer and her love of both yoga
and photography paved the way for Yoga Photography. The skills she has
acquired over the years allow her to best capture yogis demonstrating beauty,
strength, and grace through movement.

Carrie Del Purgatorio

Carrie has had a consistent, daily, at-home yoga and meditation practice for many years and was finally inspired to take her love of yoga to the next level and embark on teacher training in 2022. She enjoys teaching a more powerful yoga flow with a strong focus on breathing. Carrie firmly believes that a little self-love goes a long way, and she feels extremely grateful to be able to share her practice with people.

Camille Alonso

Camille is a Holistic Health Coach, 235RYT (235 hour Registered Yoga Teacher),
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and former Pastry Chef. She received her 200RYT at Indigo Yoga in 2018 and studied meditation at Kripalu in 2019. She then earned her Integrate Nutrition Health Coach Certification at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

She is also a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America with a Bachelors in Baking Pastry Arts and Business Administration. Camille began her yoga and meditation practice in 2009 when she was dealing with chronic panic attacks. She found that through mindfulness practices she could feel like herself again. She is now inspired to guide clients through a relaxing and peaceful practice and leave them with tools to help manage stress and anxiety.

Theresa Conlon

Theresa is a Yoga Alliance certified instructor (200-hour RYT) who has been teaching since 2013. She is skilled in various yoga styles including Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow, Restorative, and Meditation. Theresa also brings an extensive dance background to her yoga practice, which includes teaching both modern dance and ballet. She has over 40 years of dance/theater performing experience and currently showcases her choreography as part of Bergen Dance Makers, a dance collective in northern New Jersey. Theresa’s yoga classes offer a calming mix of traditional asana postures and creative movement flows, supported by energy-moving breath. Students of all skill levels are invited to find ease and peace in their bodies/minds/spirits through the joyful bliss of yoga movement.

Carrie Parker Gastelu

Carrie Parker Gastelu, E-500 RYT, has been teaching yoga since 1993. Carrie began her journey when Yogi Raj Mani Finger initiated Carrie into the ISHTA Yoga lineage after training with Mani’s son, Yogi Raj Alan Finger. In addition, she has studied many other yoga traditions as well as anatomy, physiology, movement, and awareness practices to create an eclectic style all her own. She is known for her honest, non-dogmatic yet passionate approach.

Carrie is a regular speaker and contributor at conferences, websites, and print publications and has been featured in Fit Magazine, the Yoga Zone Book, and in the Yoga Zone Video, “Flexibility and Stress Release.”

Lisa Podesta-Coombs

When Lisa found yoga in 2008, she started to find herself again and it set her on a path of health and healing. She received her 200HR RYT certification from Raji Thron of Yoga Synthesis, and her 30HR Chakra Yoga Teacher Training certificate with Anodea Judith and holds a Y12SR (Yoga of 12 Step Recovery) certification. She is also a Holistic Health Coach (certified through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition). Lisa believes we’re all on a journey of learning how to trust ourselves; she helps her clients build that trust by supporting them in creating better habits for a better life through various functional movement modalities like yoga, barre, Pilates & strength training, mindset, and whole food nutrition.

Forever a student with a passion for people, holistic health, and self-actualization, Lisa is always embracing opportunities to advance her education to better serve; Ayurveda workshops & immersions have been of particular interest as she continues to deepen her knowledge of and experience with food as medicine and she recently completed Unleash Her Power Within, a transformational program of rediscovering our truest selves, powered by Tony Robbins.  

As she continues to give herself space and grace to nourish her natural self and actualize her potential, Lisa continues to share the gift of movement as medicine to inspire authenticity & health in body, mind, and spirit. You can expect mindful, accessible, dynamic, playful, and uplifting classes from Lisa.

Roberto Reynoso

Roberto Reynoso completed basic training in 2017 at Jaipure Yoga in Montclair. The training was Hatha Vinyasa based. Roberto has created his own style from the various styles of yoga he has loved practicing. He is well-versed in Iyengar, Vinyasa, and Restorative Yoga. He hopes to teach poses and themes in each class that inform, challenge, and guide students toward a better understanding of how to make the shapes and the anatomy behind the poses. He hopes to help students find more space when they leave and also hopes to help people grow in awareness through breath, alignment, and movement.