Have you considered increasing your exercise after a DUI? It could be one change you make to your body that lasts. The truth is, once you start putting time and energy into putting a lot of good into your body, you naturally begin to push the bad away. It could even go so far as to help you give up drinking for good. If you recently got arrested for DUI in Arizona, then you may want to consider adding exercise to your total recovery routine.
What Can Exercise After a DUI Really Do?
There are several benefits that come along with adding exercise to your routine after getting a DUI. First, it gives you something active to do instead of being restless or sedentary. The more you sit back and think about what happened, the more the potential rises for you to face depression or even isolation. By getting up and having something you need to do each day, you break away from those old habits. Even if all you do is get out and go for a walk each day, you get a chance to get out of your own mind.
Next, exercise helps rebuild the inside of your body a little at a time. The more alcohol you drank, the more damage was done to your body. If you take the time to exercise, it allows your muscles, bones, and even blood vessels to get more nutrients sent their way. This allows your body to take that extra blood and nutrients and turn it into micro-repair cells that help improve your body from the inside out.
Finally, when you make sure to partake in exercise after a DUI, you also get the opportunity to focus on your mind. Most people turn to alcohol due to some form of stress or feeling as though they cannot accept their current circumstances. By turning to exercise, you get the opportunity to correct your thought patterns and learn alternative coping mechanisms. You can process your thoughts and emotions more effectively, and learn to cope without turning right back to alcohol.
Types of Exercise to Start With After a DUI Arrest
One thing you need to keep in mind is that you cannot just run out and start a full exercise routine after your DUI arrest, unless you were already doing it in the days leading up to your DUI arrest. Starting some massive workout routine out of nowhere is not going to help. In fact, it could hurt your body instead. You need to start off slowly, and get a list together of simple things you can do to get active. That way, you have different options at the beginning so you don’t get bored. Here are some great options for just starting out with an exercise routine
- Walking is ideal when first starting out after a long-standing relationship with alcohol. It is low impact, plus it is an easy way to get your heart rate up just a little bit. Once you feel comfortable with a slow pace, you can increase it or even go up to a jog if you feel so inclined.
- Swimming is another outstanding exercise after a DUI. It is virtually no-impact, which is great for sore bodies or joints, plus it works out your entire body at once. Again, you can start off slowly, then pick up the pace as you feel comfortable.
- If you feel up to it, going for a gentle bike ride is also something you can do. Again, you want to start off slowly, and increase the time and intensity as you get used to the new routine. This is not ideal for mountain biking for a starter exercise. Instead, just a ride around the neighborhood once or twice.
- Doing exercises to video games. Exercising with video games has become increasingly popular over the years. They all have a routine to break you into working out, so start off slowly with your favorite game of choice and get used to what working out could do for your body.
Ways of Increasing What You Get from Exercise After a DUI
While the different exercises we mentioned do not even come close to the options you have, it is a start. However, if you really want to get the most out of the time you spend exercising, don’t do it alone. One of the best ways of being able to get through the routine without giving up or cheating is to have someone with you who will help hold you accountable. It is easy to give up or decide, not today, a few times by yourself. When you have someone counting on you, however, that becomes much more difficult.
Another way to truly get everything you can out of your new exercise routine is to make sure that you have it as part of your recovery plan. Once you go through a DUI arrest, your life is going to be different. Make changes to ensure that you do not repeat the same mistakes, and make your exercise part of that routine. It needs to be something you do on a daily basis, even if only for a few minutes. Make it important, just as never getting another DUI is something you have to make important.
Remember, You Are Not Alone in Your DUI Recovery
Whether you add exercise after a DUI or you choose to go to rehab, remember the fact that you are not alone. You need to work hard at getting your life back on track. However, you can have help and support during this process. Contact us here at Alcohol Screening Arizona today, and let us explain to you how we can help make that process easier, too. Our number is 602-687-9481, and we can help you with more than your necessary DUI screening. We have helped dozens of people just like you, and we can help you through this process as well.