Staying active and healthy can provide so many positive results in sobriety. One of the greatest fears in recovery is getting bored–a great way to combat this is to keep active, especially in early recovery. Living in San Diego offers many outdoor activities that will make you strong and healthy, both mind and body. You can also meet new people who care about their health and being active, attracting you to a positive new group of friends. Many who struggle in a life of addiction desire to live a new life, one that is healthy and happy with many positive friendships. Here are 3 ways to meet people while staying healthy in sobriety.
Join A Gym
Make sure you have a membership to your local gym. There are so many big box gyms these days that allow you all the accommodations of a gym at a fraction of the cost. Gyms like Planet Fitness give you a community and a place to workout for only $10/month. Or you could try a yoga studio. Not only does this provide a small positive community for you to engage, but yoga is beneficial for both mind and body.
You could, of course, take advantage of all the free outdoor stuff San Diego has. Our sober living is minutes from the beach and the waves. You could surf, or you could just meditate on the beach or join a workout group that meets on the beach. These are usually lower in cost due to larger groups and lower overhead.
Eat Healthy Foods and Have Fun Doing it!
Another way to stay healthy is to eat well. There’s a saying in NA, “They put down the spoon and picked up the fork.” Many women report feeling insecure over gaining weight in recovery. When you’re trying to be healthy, the most important thing is making good food in the kitchen. A fun way for anyone to learn about cooking and how good it is for them is to take cooking lessons. Cocusocial is a local San Diego social cooking class. Learning how to create healthy food while finding new friends would be an amazing experience.
One way to stay active is to be a part of a group. Joining a group allows you to plug into something bigger than you are. During each month, there are a lot of marathons for different causes. Many people think they have to run these marathons and can’t imagine them doing something that daunting. However, most people who participate in this have group meet-ups to walk, jog, or run together all centered around participating in local running competitions.
Likewise, you can walk for a good cause. Many people go on walks to raise money for a charity of their choice. You could also choose to pick the next one that comes up. It is easy to do, and your friends and family can help. Plus, it helps to become part of a local community.
Playing Local Sports
A third option for many in recovery is to join a local recovery sports team. There is a club for people who like basketball, soccer, softball, and many other sports in San Diego. In fact, there is a local sports and social league called VOLO (formerly Vavi) that has been in the San Diego area for over 20 years. This is a great place to stay active, be around healthy people while meeting new friends. You can join them with your friends from the house or treatment. And don’t worry if you’re not athletic, every group I’ve been to places a high emphasis on having fun and meeting friends and they cater to everyone from those who are extremely athletic to those who have significant physical limitations.
Staying active is crucial to staying sober. If you can find something that catches your interest and provides friends and health benefits, they can help you reap the reward of long-term recovery, a healthy body, higher self-esteem, and a rich community of friends.