Staying Clean, Sober, and Fit in Recovery

Following stays in addiction treatment, people in recovery understand that life will be different going forward. While they grasp the importance of finding healthy ways to occupy time, still many are unsure of how they will direct their energies. The first months after rehab can be a time of uncertainty.

Most men and women in the first year of their recovery spend a significant amount of time in the company of other clean and sober people. Attending meetings, working with sponsors or recovery coaches, and engaging with peers in recovery in one's free time is a recipe for success, after all. As one becomes stronger in their sobriety, a desire to do more and see other dreams realized is inevitable.

Each person's ambitions are different; some will endeavor to start a career or to bring one to new heights. In both scenarios, going back to school may be necessary for acquiring specific skills and credentials. One of the gifts that recovery provides is an ability to start something new and see it to the end.

After years of alcohol and substance abuse, it is common not to know what path to take once in recovery. A significant number of individuals in recovery never expected to find freedom from drugs and alcohol in the first place. As such, little forethought was ever put into what one would do if he or she ever found independence.

A route that some people in sobriety take involves choosing a career path that consists in being of service. There are many opportunities in the fields of addiction medicine and support. Helping other men and women walk a path of sobriety is a critical facet of recovery. So, it makes sense that some will opt to make a career of assisting others. Gary Rutherford of the UK is one of those individuals.

Helping People Stay Sober, and Get Fit in the Process

Rutherford combined his passion for sobriety and fitness to create a personal training program for men and women in recovery, BBC News reports. Sober for eight years now, he shows men and women with alcohol and substance-use disorders how to bolster both fitness and recovery. A desire to give others living with addiction hope was the impetus for ARC.

"I want to find the strength in that person and draw it out," Rutherford said. "I want to make that person feel like a person, empower them, make them thrive, encourage them."

In sobriety, Gary knew that he wanted to help others, so he went back to school to become an addiction nurse therapist. At the same time, he developed a passion for running and eventually CrossFit and strength training, according to the article. This led him to create ARC Fitness; ARC stands for Addiction Recovery Coaching. The not-for-profit personal training program's website states:

ARC Fitness supports individuals with substance use disorders to achieve healthy and sustainable recovery through the application of physical activity and positive lifestyle choices. 

Scott Reid was among the first group of six clients to go through ARC. He shares that he relapsed after completing a London-based treatment program and that he was feeling alone before finding Rutherford. ARC helped Scott reprioritize his recovery and gave him a sense of community.

"A group of six strangers came together and left as friends that understood one another. So if one of us felt down or was struggling we could pick up the phone or go out for a coffee or a walk or something."

Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

Celebrate Hope can assist you in ending the cycle of addiction and learning how to thrive in recovery. Our faith-based recovery programs rely on evidence-based therapies, in conjunction with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Please contact us today to learn more.