This post was contributed to Leisure Freak by freelance writer John. He shares his experience on this timely subject of alcohol addiction as many may be struggling with alcohol use during these trying times. 

Drinking alcohol, for many, has become a form of therapy for sadness and depression. This is because they find pleasure in it and it makes them feel better for a while. However, this only lasts for the moment, and long-term use of alcohol could worsen depression, often requiring dual diagnosis treatment, which is very difficult to cure. In addition to that, excessive alcohol intake has been linked to several medical complications, including the risk of heart failure and stroke, liver and kidney failure, and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and breast. 

The Changes After Using Exercise To Control Alcohol Addiction

Considering all the side effects of excessive alcohol intake, it is advisable to cut down on daily intake. Alcohol intake could worsen dehydration in your body and interfere with how your body produces energy. It could also slow down the nerve that sends messages across your body. All of these factors could take a toll on your health and affect how you exercise.

However, exercise is one of the ways to offset some of these alcohol-associated risks while helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is also an effective way to give up alcohol, as it replaces some of the affects you aim to get from drinking. 

Some people are not able to quit alcohol addiction on their own. For those people, alcohol addiction treatment centers provide the necessary solution to become clean. More often than not, alcohol addiction treatment requires the addict to enroll in inpatient alcohol treatment programs, which provide both medication assisted treatment, as well as counseling and proper life skills needed to quit alcohol for good.

I tried to stay away from alcohol rehab and to cure my addiction with more natural ways. In order to quit alcohol, I tried exercising often and here are some of the changes I noticed:

1- I Was Tired Earlier

Drinking alcohol has been linked to increased fatigue, as you would tend to sleep after drinking and wake up tired the following day. Apart from daily stress levels, regular alcohol intake could be the reason you get tired too often. I was tired earlier while I indulged in alcohol, but that changed when I started exercising. Exercising increases the heart rate and blood flow across the body, which releases endorphins that raise the energy levels up.

2- I Started to Fall Asleep Earlier

Exercise helps reduce stress and relieve anxiety which will increase the amount and quality of your sleep and cure insomnia. I didn’t have to rely on alcohol to fall asleep anymore while increasing my health risks. Exercising simply did the magic, and I could have a restful sleep while keeping a healthy lifestyle.

3- More Mood Swing to Less Mood Swing

Exercise helps to improve mental health, and you could record lesser episodes of mood swing. Alcohol intake is greatly associated with mood swings, which worsens while you are trying to break off from it. However, exercise could fix that by releasing chemicals like endorphins and serotonin which would improve your mood. 

4- I Started to Look Younger and Fresh

Exercise slows aging and could make you look younger and fresher than your age. Alcohol could make you grumpy, and it has been associated with skin aging. I was able to change that with regular exercise and now look younger. Exercise turns off the aging process in your chromosomes, which would cause your telomeres not to grow shorter as it should while you age. Longer telomeres make you look younger.

5- Sexual Empowerment

Alcohol has been associated with erectile dysfunction in men and reduced lubrication in women. That can change with exercise, as feel-good hormones known as endorphins are released, your cortisol levels are decreased, and your stress level also decreases. It could also help reduce depression and increase blood flow to your organs. All these factors could contribute to a great sex life.

6- Ahha, I Saved a Lot of Money

If you need a trick to help you save a huge amount of annual healthcare costs, exercise is the answer. The risks associated with alcohol could make you spend the rest of your life within the walls of a hospital with exorbitant medical bills. Exercising has improved my health since I started and I am beginning to notice changes. So, I would rather opt for what would save my life, improve my health and also help me save a lot of money.

Conclusion

You can be next. All you need to do is incorporate exercise into your routine and make it a part of you. However, it is not as easy as said, which is why alcohol treatment centers are there as another option, to guide you as you make the transition from being dependent on alcohol to embracing exercise as a lifestyle.

Author Bio: 

John is a freelance writer who loves to help people who are struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, knowing firsthand what it’s like to deal with substance addiction, and has now been sober for 5 years. John is a frequent contribution to many addiction-related blogs and organizations such as the Addiction Treatment Division and Recovery Inn.