We might know exercise would help, but that doesn’t mean we feel like doing it. We could be tired, flat, sleeping badly or just trying to get through the day without drinking.
The thought of a hard workout might be the last thing we want. But movement doesn’t have to be hard to help.
What movement can change
A walk, a bike ride, some stretching or a normal gym session can change how we feel for a while. We get out of our head, work off some of the physical tension and break up a part of the day that used to lead straight into drinking.
Regular movement can also help with sleep, mood and general energy over time. It won’t work the same way for everybody, and it won’t fix every difficult feeling.
What often helps is simply changing what we’re doing. We might have been sitting in the same room, thinking the same thoughts and waiting for the usual drinking time. Ten minutes of movement can interrupt that pattern and help take some of the tension out of it.
And it doesn’t have to feel good from the first minute. We might start the walk still irritated or flat. The question is simply whether we feel any different when we get back.
Use it at the part of the day that needs help
Exercise works better when it has a job. If late afternoon is difficult, a walk after work might interrupt the old routine. If mornings feel flat, ten minutes outside could give the day a clearer start.
For some of us, the hardest part is the gap between work and the evening. Going straight from the desk into some kind of movement can create a clear break before the old drinking routine starts.
That doesn’t mean we need a perfectly planned schedule. We can choose something we don’t hate and put it where it helps most.
Don’t turn it into another punishment
Some of us stop drinking and decide we’re going to get completely fit at the same time. We train hard, restrict food and expect ourselves to feel amazing within a week. Then we’re exhausted and disappointed when real life doesn’t match the plan.
Exercise doesn’t need to make up for our past drinking. We’re not trying to punish alcohol out of our system.
It usually makes more sense to do an amount we can repeat than one huge session followed by six days of doing nothing. A short walk three times this week is still a real start.
Make starting easier
When motivation is low, a bit of preparation can make starting easier. Shoes by the door, a route we already know or a basic session we don’t have to plan on the spot can all help.
We can also make the starting point smaller. Tell ourselves we’ll walk for ten minutes, stretch while something cooks or just do the first part of the session. If we want to keep going, fine. If not, we still moved.
As our energy changes, the amount can change too. We aren’t signing a lifetime contract with the first routine we try.
Know what exercise can’t do
Exercise gives us another way to deal with some of that tension. It doesn’t have to do everything.
It also isn’t a replacement for proper care for ongoing depression, anxiety, an injury or another health problem. Movement can be one part of looking after ourselves without expecting it to solve everything.
Some days that might be a workout. Other times, it could be a slow walk around the block. We only need something that helps without becoming another reason to have a go at ourselves.
— Brent