Less than 3% of Americans are considered to live a healthy lifestyle. And when over half of the average diet is made up of ultra-processed food, it’s no surprise why.
However, eating well and exercising regularly are vital to living your healthiest life. For those recovering from addiction, sticking to a nutrition and exercise plan is even more important. This helps you reduce stress, resolve any dietary deficiencies, get more structure into your day, and helps you replace a bad habit with a healthier one.
Plus, sticking to your new healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be so hard.
Don’t believe us? Keep reading to learn our top tips for successfully starting an exercise and nutrition program.
Exercise Early
When you’re already balancing work, family responsibilities, and AA or NA meetings, it may seem like there’s no time left for exercising. However, and easy way to get around this is to exercise early in the morning.
This way, you get a boost of endorphins to start your day out on a good note, and you can feel free to relax with your family after a long day of work.
Make Exercising Fun
It can be hard to make working out a habit when you dread doing it. So, consider trying a few different types of exercise in order to find one that you actually enjoy.
This could include getting a gym buddy from your 12 step support group or listening to your favorite music while you exercise. You could also try taking a fitness class, like yoga, Zumba, or kickboxing.
Of course, you could also mix things up to keep your routine interesting. For example, you may want to do yoga twice a week and do strength training or cardio with a gym buddy three times a week.
Meal Prep
Exercising is only half the battle when trying to transition into a healthier lifestyle. You’ll also want to start a nutritious diet.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to start meal prepping. Choose one day that you typically have free time, and commit to preparing your meals for the rest of the week.
Portion them out into microwave-safe containers and store them in the freezer. Throughout the week, you can simply take one out of the freezer and pop it in the microwave to enjoy a healthy home-cooked meal without any effort.
Switch to Healthy Snacks
Oftentimes, comfort eating and cravings are what throw people off their diet. But you don’t have to eliminate snacking altogether.
Instead, keep healthy snacks with you at all times. Things like apples with peanut butter, green smoothies, granola bars, and trail mix allow you to indulge in your salty or sweet cravings without going overboard. This makes them great options, especially when you’re still transitioning into your new diet.
Implementing a Nutrition and Exercise Plan
Your body goes through a lot when you’re struggling with addiction. That’s why taking care of it during recovery is so important. Just follow the tips above to start a nutrition and exercise plan, so you can live a happy, healthy, and sober life.
Are you looking for some healthy recipes? Then check out our food and drink blog page today!