The Healing Power of Physical Fitness in Addiction Recovery: An Interview With Deanna Brolly

Early recovery is not an easy place to be; often, you’re facing yourself and feeling your feelings without the influence of drugs for the first time in a very long time. Meanwhile, you must do the work of addressing the underlying issues driving your drug use, which can be an emotionally exhausting and painful process. At such a stage, physical fitness can seem like the last thing you want to focus on. But in reality, it can be exactly what you need as you start your healing journey.

“I think more than anything, exercise is a way for people to not be in their heads and get out of the talk therapy and explore through movement and breathing. There’s no doubt that even just 10 minutes of gentle movement can help you clear your head,” Deanna tells me. “In my own life, if I didn’t have the ability to move as freely as I can, it would be devastating. Exercise is therapy; you don’t have to talk, you can feel and move and experience the process on your own.”

The healing potential of exercise is becoming more widely recognized all the time. Already it’s known for its ability to lift mood and alleviate symptoms of psychological distress; according to some research, exercise is just as effective as medication or talk therapy when it comes to cases of mild depression or anxiety, and it is considered to be a significant factor for many who struggle with more severe mental health disorders. The power of exercise to encourage emotional regulation, energize you, and lift your spirits makes it an ideal addition to an addiction treatment program by providing an easily accessible way of coping with psychological pain.

In fact, exercise may be uniquely suited to help those with addiction issues because it allows you to safely experience a form of neurochemical pleasure without the use of harmful substances. “Physical fitness can be a big factor in recovery because exercise can trigger the production of endorphins and dopamine that will help you feel better,” Deanna explains. “You get that feeling on a physiological level of, ‘Oh, I’m feeling really good.’” At a time when many are struggling with the reality of life without drugs, learning natural, healthy, nourishing ways of creating pleasurable experiences and remembering that you have the power to make yourself feel good can be critical to recovery.

Deanna holds physical fitness classes twice a week at Alta Mira, often outside to allow clients to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us. Everyone is welcome to join, and no one is required to come.

We bring some weights and resistance bands outside and we do a lot of body weight and gravity exercises and calisthenics. We play music. I make sure I’m addressing any mechanical movement dysfunction so I’m correcting as we’re training and making sure they’re getting what they need out of it. Because the classes are small, I can give them a lot of one-on-one attention.

But mechanical movements and the details of training are just one part of the puzzle when it comes to Deanna’s work at Alta Mira. “You can access exercise and be outside all over the place, but I think it’s really the support that makes a difference,” she says. “I’m just here as a catalyst.”

To determine what kind of catalyst she needs to be, Deanna starts by performing a fitness assessment, speaking with each person about their own unique needs and circumstances.

I want to know about their exercise history and if they have any injuries and what their short- and long-term goals are, to determine how I can help them. I get to know them and their personalities and how we’re going to effectively make them happy. My role in the fitness world is that I adapt to each person and meet them where they are.

This high level of flexibility is made possible in part by the fact that the groups at Alta Mira are small and intimate, ensuring that Deanna is able to build a rapport with each client and create responsive exercise plans tailored to each moment. “They can have their goals set out, but each day may present something different,” she explains. “It’s really individual and personal. Depending on what’s going on that day or in that moment, we just go with what will help them feel better.”

The intimate environment also means that the clients themselves form a community in which to learn from and connect with each other, providing vital social support when it matters most. They cheer each other on, motivate each other, lend an ear, and provide a sense of belonging during a turbulent time; they become catalysts for each other. “I think the group is special and important,” Deanna says. “They’re with each other and moving together. To have them all join together and encourage each other is really helpful.”