Replacement addictions occur when someone swaps out one addiction for another. Common examples of replacement addictions include food, sex, gambling, smoking, work, etc. Exercise is widely viewed as very helpful in recovery, but can it be taken too far? At what point does exercise become a replacement addiction?
Why Exercise Helps in Recovery
Exercise is a very important part of addiction recovery. Creating the habit of exercising regularly helps to heal the mind, body, and soul. These are just a few of the reasons that exercise can help heal in recovery:
- Improves overall health
- Releases dopamine
- Helps with relapse prevention
- Improves sleep cycle
- Fills time, creates daily structure
- Creates purpose
- Can be social
Getting the body moving again after substance abuse helps improve the function of the body and the mind, also helping to reverse some of the physical side effects of long-term drug or alcohol use. Exercise naturally releases dopamine, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel happy. This is a natural high that can actually help in relapse prevention.
Exercise can help regulate your sleep cycle, give you purpose, and even help you to be social with other people who exercise. There are even groups of people throughout the country who are all in recovery and run, cycle, or otherwise exercise together. Exercise can give you daily purpose and fill up the time that you might be tempted to fall back into old habits. Sounds fantastic, right?
Dangers of Too Much Exercise
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Many people are unaware of the dangers involved when you exercise too much. Some of the risks include:
- Injuries from overuse
- Increased heart rate
- Hormonal dysfunction
- Eating disorders
- Sleep disturbances
- Lowered immune system
- Depression or mood swings
- Physical burnout
- The body burns muscle rather than fat
While injuries are always a risk with any type of exercise, they should be avoided, not self-inflicted. Injuring your body, especially while young, can affect your physical health and functioning for the rest of your life. You may also experience physical burnout, which can lead to sleep disturbances and mood swings or depression. This can actually put you at higher risk of a substance relapse.
Also dangerous is the stress that too much exercise puts on your heart. This can lead to an increased heart rate, which can put you at risk for serious heart problems. Over-exercising can lead to hormone imbalances or changes in levels of hormones like testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol. Women risk hormonal changes that can lead to changes in bone density as well.
Eating disorders are another risk of too much exercise. Changes in your metabolism can lead to eating too much or not eating enough. With too much exercise, your body can actually get to the point where it is burning muscle instead of fat. If these risks sound scary, it is because they are. Your body has limits, and it is important to realize that before you have long-term side effects.
Signs of Exercise as an Addiction
If exercise has become a replacement addiction, how is that different from over-exercising? Some of the indications may include:
- Compulsively exercising
- Exercising in secret
- Ignoring other activities to exercise
- Exercise interfering with relationships
Someone may exercise compulsively, unable to stop and doing so even at the risk of health, severe weather, or other dangers. You may say that you have to exercise, and many people do make exercise a priority. That is fine. But if you exercise in secret because of the concerns expressed by a loved one or you do double workouts with different training partners, you might have a problem. When you ignore responsibilities like family, work, or other commitments so that you can exercise, your habit may be an addiction. Likewise, if your personal relationships are in danger because you prioritize exercise above them, you may have simply replaced one addiction with another.
Exercising to the point of physical harm or exercising so compulsively that you lose track of everything else in your life is the exception to the rule. For most people in recovery, exercise prevents relapse. However, it is always important to listen to your body to avoid too much exercise. Replacement addictions can be problematic, and you can actually have too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise. Being vigilant about your daily routines and continuing to reach out for support will help you to avoid exercise as a replacement addiction.
Exercise is an integral part of the recovery process. In addition to the obvious physical benefits, there are many mental benefits as well. The dopamine produced by healthy exercise can feel like a natural high and can actually help prevent relapse. There is such a thing as over-exercising, however. Too much exercise creates mental and physical risks that can be long-term. For some, exercise may actually become a replacement addiction, so it is important to maintain all of the daily activities learned in treatment. At Rancho Milagro Recovery, your physical health is very important to us. We treat the whole person–mind, body, and soul. From our beautiful ranch setting to our rescue animals, we have created an environment of healing in nature. Call us at (951) 526-4582 to see for yourself. Treatment for substance abuse is not only accessible, but it can be soothing in a natural setting. Let us help you find hope again.