Exercise in early recovery

A gentle approach to low-intensity exercise during the detox period is the safest way to go.

There’s no doubt about it – detoxing from alcohol is stressful. It’s physically and emotionally draining in the short term, despite it being the best thing you can do for yourself in the long term to get and stay sober.

Some people can view the detox period and early recovery as a time to change everything about their health – to get fit, lose weight and stop other bad habits. Ocean Hills Clinical Manager Stephanie Van Waas, a highly experienced and qualified addictions and mental health practitioner, says while exercise in early recovery is a wonderful tool for health, in the delicate first weeks of sobriety, your priority is not getting fit or making major health changes – it is staying sober. 

“A gentle approach to low-intensity exercise during the detox period is the safest way to go,” says Stephanie. 

What happens to your body during an alcohol detox

When you stop drinking alcohol, your body switches from struggling to process a steady flow of alcohol – a central nervous system depressant – to repair mode. Inflammation settles, hormones rebalance and your nervous system begins to recalibrate and heal.

Adding vigorous exercise on top of this healing phase can overwhelm an already fragile system. It’s important to remember that your body is already under a lot of pressure, says Stephanie. 

Exercise in early recovery checklist

Use this quick scan before every session to decide whether movement will help or hinder today:

• Have I slept at least six hours?

• Is my heart rate steady and comfortable at rest?

• Am I free from dizziness, shaking or severe nausea?

• Have I eaten something nourishing in the last two hours?

• Do I feel emotionally stable – neither highly anxious nor depressed?

• Will this activity leave me with more, not less, energy for the day?

• Have I spoken to a medical or addiction professional about today’s plan?

If you cannot tick all boxes, prioritise rest, gentle stretching or a short walk. Recovery time is never wasted; it is where healing happens.

Gentle exercise can deliver great benefits without adding stress to the body in early sobriety.

Easy does it – exercise in early recovery needs to be gentle

Gentle activities such as walking and restorative yoga, can deliver great benefits without adding stress:

• Mood regulation – light aerobic work releases endorphins and raises dopamine, lifting low spirits, which are common after withdrawal. A 2021 meta analysis study found exercise interventions cut alcohol consumption and eased anxiety and depression in people with alcohol use disorder.

• Cognitive healing – research published in FEBS Open Bio (2023) showed regular aerobic training improved memory and executive function in mice after alcohol exposure, an encouraging sign for human recovery.

• Routine and structure – planning a daily walk or ten-minute stretch session anchors the day, replacing drinking rituals with healthier habits.

• Craving control – low-intensity exercise has been linked to reduced urge frequency and intensity, supporting a calmer mental state during early weeks of sobriety.

Remember that “gentle” is different for everyone: for some, a slow 20-minute stroll is plenty; for others, a brief body-weight circuit feels manageable. Always listen to what your body says and realise that you may have a ‘new normal’ as your body undergoes major changes and healing.

It's all about balance: movement should soothe rather than strain your body.

Sobriety first, fitness second

Exercise is a powerful ally throughout recovery – just not at the expense of staying sober. The transformation that abstinence brings to the brain, liver, heart and relationships dwarfs any gains from shaving seconds off a 5km run. Protecting sobriety may mean skipping workouts, leaving a class early or swapping high-intensity intervals for a slow-flow yoga sequence. Those decisions are not failures; they are informed choices that keep your primary goal intact.

The Ocean Hills team guides our guests on exercise in early recovery. “Our daily routines always include gentle exercise like walking and yoga, and also rest,” Stephanie says. “We never want to place undue stress on bodies that are healing but we balance that with enough movement to help build health and tap into those natural feel-good endorphins,” 

Generally speaking, during the fragile early days of alcohol recovery, movement should soothe rather than strain. Gentle exercise bolsters mood, supports cognitive repair and helps rebuild daily structure – but only when it respects the body’s limited resources, Stephanie says.

“Listen closely to what your body tells you, lean into rest when needed and keep the bigger picture in view: sobriety is the bedrock on which every future fitness milestone will stand. Everything else can wait, for now.”

Like podcasts? Listen to the Self care – the bedrock of sobriety episode of the Ocean Hills Addicted to Recovery podcast here.

If you need to talk to someone about recovering from a relapse, call Ocean Hills founder Elaine Atkinson on 027 573 7744 or contact the team here.

Bibliography

1. Lardier, D. T., et al. “Exercise as a useful intervention to reduce alcohol consumption: a systematic review.” Frontiers in Psychology 12 (2021): 675285. Frontiers

2. Lin, X., et al. “Benefits of exercise on cognitive impairment in alcohol use disorder.” FEBS Open Bio 13, no. 7 (2023): 13865. PMC

3. Wang, Y., et al. “Physical exercise alleviates anxiety and depression in substance-use disorder: a meta-analysis.” Frontiers in Psychology 15 (2024): 1348224. Frontiers

4. Smothers, Z. P. W., & Sampath, C. “Exercise-based treatments for substance use disorders.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 139 (2022): 108843.