Many addiction recovery centers and programs offer some sort of activity therapy. Horseback riding, fishing, and nature hiking are just a few of the activities featured in many facilities. For some people in addiction recovery, outdoor sports are the key in their recovery. Understanding why these things go hand in hand has to do with understanding addiction, the importance in community, and why exercise is so important for those on their journey toward sobriety. Many addiction nonprofits have adopted this model in preventing addiction as well as helping those in recovery. For those looking for the key to recovery, it might just be finding the right outdoor sport.
Understanding Addiction
Addiction is a complex disease. Though addiction can happen to anyone, there are some populations that seem to have a predisposition to addiction. Both biological and environmental factors have to do with a person’s risk with developing a substance abuse problem. What is important to know is what goes on within the brain when someone is battling addiction. Addiction is chemical and when a person is introduced to a substance, it messes with the brain’s communication system and over stimulates the reward centers. This is why addiction has such a tight grip on its host: it manipulates the brain into thinking it’s being rewarded. This is why outdoor sports are such a big help in recovery. Adrenaline and endorphins are also chemicals in the brain that can replace the feelings in the reward center that drugs can give you.
Exercise as a Tool in Recovery
Skiing through powder, kayaking through rapids, and biking through trails are all great ways to fill your body with endorphins and adrenaline. “Runner’s high,” is when cardio gives you feelings of elation related to a release of dopamine and endorphins and that is the exact principle applied when using outdoor sports as a tool in recovery. Outdoor sports pair the “runners high” feeling with the rush of adrenaline that you get from being scared, excited, and pumped to do something extreme. Those two feelings combine to create a cocktail of chemicals better than the high created by any substance. Not only that, but spending so much time in the outdoors is great for mental health and happiness for many people in recovery. This type of environment is great at fostering healthy habits and activities.
Finding Community
Not only do outdoor activities offer a sort of chemical replacement for substance abuse, they also offer communities of people who help those in recovery. Bikers, snowboarders, climbers, hikers, and surfers are such welcoming communities of people. Sometimes addicts find it difficult to transition into life away from a recovery center or meetings. Environmental factors and social groups that don’t foster an atmosphere of recovery can lead to relapse. Finding a community of people with similar interests in a healthy hobby can help foster happiness and community that aid in avoiding relapse in many cases. Having a solid support system can be so important in the journey toward recovery, and finding a community of people that can offer that can be just what someone in recovery needs in order to remain successful in sobriety.
Natural High
This principle is the idea surrounding Natural High, a nonprofit that focuses on programs that help young people pursue their own natural high so that they don’t feel compelled towards substance abuse. Those who help to endorse Natural High’s message include NFL players, track stars, musicians, surfers, wrestlers, dancers, and the list goes on and on. From professional sports to famous Olympians, the message is to help the youth of America find their thing that gives them passion and happiness, whether it’s an outdoor sport or not — though the principle is the same.
Finding the Right Outdoor Sport
Outdoor sports are a great tool in the path to addiction recovery for so many reasons. For some people, it’s just about finding the right outdoor sport for them. Fortunately, there are a ton of possibilities for every type of person and every activity level. For those who like a physical challenge and prefer their sports to be more on the extreme side, you can try surfing, rock climbing, or mountain biking. For those who want a sport that can be difficult or easy depending on their preferences, you can try running, hiking, or skiing. If you’re searching for a mellow activity, try walking, paddle boarding, or canoeing. Turn your activities into adventures and take a trip that culminates a bunch of different adventures like fishing, rafting, and sailing. Your outdoor sport can be defined by you and doesn’t have to follow anyone else’s rules. As long as it’s making you happy, it’s doing its job in helping you with addiction recovery.
Instead of choosing a substance to get you high, consider finding that outdoor activity that you can give you a natural high instead. Putting on a pair of headphones and running, locking in on some skis and challenging yourself to a new run, or chalking up your hands for a climb are all activities that can reward your pleasure centers in the same way that drugs or alcohol can, but in a healthy way. These activities can help you find the community you need in order to find support in your recovery. It’s a principle used by many organizations helping those with addiction issues, and you can use it yourself in your own recovery. Finding the outdoor sport for you is key in using this concept to your advantage. And, someday, it’ll be second nature to seek out a healthy high and not one fueled by substance abuse.