Sobriety and Fitness

Ditch the booze and grab some chalk!

Written by Tristan Miler, a CSUCI student.  

Dehydrated. Nauseous. Regretful. Defeated.

Those words can be used to describe a morning wake-up following a night of alcohol consumption. Alcohol is toxic to your body and requires detoxification via your liver. This stress encumbers not only your liver but also your entire body. Some common hangover symptoms include headaches, nausea, and increased anxiety. Feeling this way is not pleasant and can really mess up your day. What could have been a productive day full of activity has now morphed into a pitiful state of suffering. Does this sound fun to you? It doesn’t to me, and I grew tired of wasting days because of the after-effects of alcohol. I want to create and maintain momentum in life to achieve goals and be happy. One of my favorite ways to establish momentum and abstain from alcohol is fitness!

Hydrated. Energized. Motivated. Accomplished.

These words describe how I feel after engaging in some form of fitness activity. Whether I go for a run, participate in a workout class, or even hike a mountain, I always feel the same positive effects of fitness. To me, fitness is the opportunity to improve myself in a variety of ways. Challenging your mind and body during a workout prepares you to take on the rest of life’s obstacles with confidence, energy, and drive. Want to know one of the best things about fitness too? It’s free. Sure, you can pay for gyms, classes, etc., but if you can’t afford those things, you can research body-weight workouts and cardio workouts online for free. Self-improvement at no additional monetary cost sounds pretty good to me! 

So how do we maintain sobriety and fitness engagement long-term? 

• Involve your friends - A little bit of friendly competition is not only good for you, but it can also be a lot of fun! 
• Create and Track Goals - Whether it is running a faster mile, increasing your bench press weight, or increasing how many push-ups you can do, you should be challenging yourself to attain goals. Goals are like checkpoints. If you write them down and adhere to attaining them, one day, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come. 
• Try New Activities - If you get bored of running each day, brainstorm your next fitness activity. It could be rock climbing, hiking, weightlifting, swimming, etc. Many of us like to try new things, so make sure you are trying positive ones. 

If you’re looking to start your fitness journey or accelerate it, don’t be afraid to utilize online resources to learn more. Nutrition and recovery are important aspects closely intertwined with fitness, and are great topics to learn more about. Ditching alcohol and other drugs for beneficial activities will make you feel more fulfilled, healthy, and happy. Start to generate some positive momentum today and get moving!