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Let's Get Physical Now that most of us in this program are at a noticeable or positive level of mental and economic recovery, those who are capable should also seriously consider starting a personal program of physical recovery. In the past, before whatever circumstances brought us to the point of social and economic unmanageability and to the brink of total self-destruction, many of us maintained some form of regular exercise. Either we played basketball or softball at a local park, or we lifted weights or simply did whatever gave us the opportunity to physically challenge ourselves and one another, while reaping the benefits of exercise. Understandably, for varied reasons, we gave up on exercise and its benefits once we went into a period of social withdrawal, economic stagnation and near-death existence. But, thanks to the opportunities allowed many of us by The Doe Fund, we are now able to see that the proverbial light at the end of the long dark tunnel is a light of salvation and not an oncoming train. We should take advantage of the blessing we have been given and not settle for anything less than total recovery. I am not an expert on the subject of physical recovery, but what I do know is
that there are many benefits in establishing and maintaining a non-sedentary lifestyle. In
Chapter One of the 37th edition of Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, (Appleton & Lange,
Stamford, Connecticut), the writers point out that "...a sedentary lifestyle has been
linked to
28% of deaths from leading chronic
It doesn't take a Ph.D. to figure out that the benefits of regular exercise are overwhelming. But there are those of us who claim not to have enough time to fit exercise in their new-found busy schedule. Well, the experts say that there are many ways to fit exercise in your average day. You can use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator and walk to work or the store instead of driving the "hoop-dee" (a.k.a. car). If you ride the bus, get off two or three stops from your destination, or park that "hoop-dee" at the far end of the parking lot and walk, or take a stroll during your lunch break. As recovering addicts (which is what most of us are) we cannot afford not to take advantage of the wealth of positive results that are a direct consequence of a personal exercise program, A.J. Mooney, M.D., author of The Recovery Book (Workman Publishing, New York), which deals with substance addiction and recovery, says that "a healthy oriented life that builds in regular exercise usually has no room in it for the use of drugs or the abuse of alcohol...indeed the few studies that have been done show improved abstinence rates for those in exercise programs compared to those who remain inactive..., exercise is the perfect replacement for the couple of drinks that help you unwind after work." (459) On a personal level, exercise has helped me profoundly in 90% of the ways that the exercise gurus say it will. I jog, lift weights and play basketball as often as three or four times a week. Not bad for an old man, huh? Anyway, I'm not Chippendale material...well, not yet, but the exercise has boosted my self-esteem and my degree of confidence and, most important, my level of self-acceptance. The main point is this: instead of spending valuable time sitting in front of a television set doing nothing (and, most of the time, learning nothing) or channeling all your positive energy toward being economically actualized, get up off your butt and work dat body toward becoming a total you and a total recovery. -- Tariq Ibn B. Mujahid |
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diseases...in 1995, the Centers for Disease
Control Prevention
recommended that every adult in the Untied States should accumulate 30 minutes or more of
moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably, all days of the week...Regular
moderate to vigorous exercise has been shown to lower the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke,
hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes, mellitus, diverticular disease and osteoporosis.
Exercise has been shown to produce sustained lowering of both systolic and diastolic blood
pressure in (individuals) with mild hypertension. Physical activity has also been shown to
reduce depression and anxiety, to improve sleep quality and to enhance mood, self-esteem and
performance." (10)
