How Do You Care for Your Body Now That You’re Sober?

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How do you care for your body now that you’re sober? Do you have routines, habits, or practices that help you feel stronger, healthier, more at ease, and more nourished?

As a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, I take a holistic approach to wellness. Physical care is inseparable from caring for mind and spirit. They’re all part of the whole.

On a personal note, caring for my body—and seeing how that care affected my mind and spirit—was a big reason I chose to stop drinking. Practices like yoga, meditation, and eating nourishing meals helped me tune into my body and revealed how alcohol worked against every health-supportive habit I had. Those same practices help me stay sober and live well in sobriety.

I recently asked this question on Substack Notes, and the responses were beautifully diverse—each telling its own story of care and connection. You’ll find them below, along with links to each writer’s profile and publication if you’d like to explore more sober writing and find kindred community.

We’d love to hear from you too. What helps you feel most energized, at peace, and at home in your body now that you’re sober? Walking, yoga, weightlifting, breathwork, nourishing food, restful sleep, or something else?

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“For me, walking in nature has become essential. I used to run but I haven’t been able to embrace it the same way now. Truth be told, in sobriety I dropped a lot of metrics and tracking. It just isn’t good for my personal sobriety. No more whoop on my wrist to tell me how I performed that day. No more Garmin to track any miles or PRs. I slowed down a lot and yet I feel stronger for it. For me, slowing down woke up my senses and that is the daily work out I get the most benefits from.

Fall is my favorite for hiking and I’m excited that this is around the bend here in the Northeast. I get on the yoga mat regularly, too. Yoga never fails to drop me from mind into my body. Every time.

Eating wholesome from the earth foods is becoming a priority to me. I instantly recognize the benefits of it after a meal.” — Allison Deraney, DARE TO BE

“staying active is a huge part of maintaining my sobriety. i’ve always been a runner, but since getting sober, i’ve really focused on it. it’s the best way to get out of my head and reconnect with my body, plus i really love the routine and confidence it gives me. beyond my own practice, i also coach people in addiction treatment centers—for running, but also just to get them outside, enjoying some exercise and conversation with a fellow person in recovery. supporting others in this way has been one of the most rewarding parts of my recovery—if not my life.” — Lindsey Goodrow, Sober Gemini

“Intermittent fasting, weight lifting, disc golf (2 mile walk per game), treadmill, keto diet, prioritizing sleep” — Shane Willbanks, Sober Duder’s Spot

“Sobriety has given me the freedom and humility to try some things that my ego may have previously discounted. Age certainly has some input as well. I can walk now instead of needing to outrun. I can lift but don’t need to prove the most weight or the best, newest methodology. I can ride a big cruiser motorcycle now instead of needing the fastest sport bike. I can play golf for fun instead of having to always compete. And yes I can practice yoga and Pilates with the ladies without having to try to either crush or date all of them. 🙄

The freedom is amazing. I just do instead of always trying. I think Yoda 🤔” — Dee Rambeau, Of a Sober Mind

“I take care of the holy trinity of my body as a matter of course now: regular exercise, nourishing food, and restorative sleep. I train six times per week: mostly weights, some dynamic primal-style movements and stretching, some high-heart-rate cardio.

Nutrition is simple, I eat what my grandfather would have eaten, so beef, chicken, potatoes, cheap local veg. My belief about food is that it should be whole and recognisable to my ancestors; I shouldn’t need a packet to explain what’s in it.

Good sleep to me means having a decent mattress and being physically tired for all the right reasons by the end of the day, as if a bed is a privilege I’ve earned the right to for the night, and I sink quickly into a deep, satisfying unconsciousness.

I think with those three elements in place, the rest of health takes care of itself.” — Adam PT, Rehabitus®

“I will be 3 years sober in December and I would say I am only just in the last year beginning to address my physical needs. Anything but a drink was my mantra in the early days, and I ate whatever, drank anything as long as it was AF, and smoked a lot of cigarettes.

Today, I am trying to listen to my body carefully and thoughtfully—when I lift weights, I feel strong. When I go for a walk, as our ancestors did forever, I feel calmer. Foods as close to their natural form as possible make my body feel well nourished.

My observations might sound whimsical, so some other observations are: eating a McChicken, a McDouble, a large fry, and some handful of nuggets from my kids plates didn’t make me feel very good. When I drink 15 cups of coffee and eat nothing in the morning, I feel anxious.

Some tough questions are: why did I eat 4 ‘fun-sized’ 100 Grand bars? Is it because I just saw it in the cupboard and impulsively shoveled them in my mouth, or is there a different void I’m trying to fill, some feeling I’m trying to escape?

Submerging my body in lobster-boiling temperature bath water or going in the sauna until sweat is popping up from each pore—entering the bath and the sauna without my phone, just listening to the thoughts in my head—leaves me feeling refreshed, rejuvenated.

Belly breathing, passing no judgement on my belly (particularly if it’s a little puffy from all those McChickens), soothes my parasympathetic nervous system.

I am trying to observe without passing judgment, and love myself into nourishing this body I’ve been given to function as best it can.” — Kristen Crocker, Recoverettes

“Getting sober allowed me to listen to my body in ways that had been hard to hear while in active addiction. For example, I learned I need a ton of sleep to feel good- 9 hours and I feel my best. Less than 7, and my suffering goes up. I had to listen for managing stress/cortisol differently as well. For example, I had to learn that caffeine doesn’t agree with me, and it took me a while, but I did eventually give it up. My sleep, mood, and energy all improved, and I don’t respond to increased stress with adding caffeine to try to cope.

I’ve had to learn the true meaning of the word ‘practice.’ I practice yoga and I practice meditation- practice simply means we keep showing up. It doesn’t mean I’m the best one at the yoga class, it means I go to my mat even when I don’t feel great, because my body needs it.

Answering the needs of the body is sober behavior. Ignoring the body and its needs, or causing harm because we aren’t moving, or are eating poorly, or are over exercising, or under rested for me, is not sober behavior. Sobriety has roots, it spreads to all areas of life, and I’m grateful it does.” — Tracey Sarah, The Soup

“For me, prioritising sleep is always my number one priority. This is especially after enduring 2.5 years of broken sleep when my son was little, and experiencing the significant effect on my mental health and overall wellbeing that caused. I find if I haven’t slept well the next day I feel depressed and angry, as well as tired. It means I don’t very often go out in the evening, and there has to be a really special reason to have a late night!

I eat very healthily: mostly plant-based, organic and whole-foods which aligns with my values about animals and the environment as much as my desire to take care of my body.

In all honesty my journey to connecting with my body and exercise is an ongoing one. I still struggle to prioritise exercise but I am trying different things out to see what I enjoy e.g. starting to get back into yoga and swimming. And I do short online workouts like Joe Wicks’ ones as often as I can!

Getting plenty of daylight and spending time in nature is always, always essential, every day.” — Ellie Nova, A Little Fantastic Sober Life

“Movement is big for me. I tend to live in my head, and movement (yoga, cycling, strength training) helps me get back into my body. I still haven’t figured out that magic sobriety six-pack, but I am finding further in this journey that I’m listening to my body much closer in terms of satiety and eating fewer foods that leave me feeling worse after I eat them.

Dropping caffeine was a move I never saw coming, but has helped me really listen to my body’s energy levels. Without the added stimulus I can’t push through like I used to and am forced to slow down at times, which is a great practice for me. I don’t know if it’s a forever thing like booze, but the last few months’ experiment has been really interesting. I became the person I couldn’t understand as a barista in college and just order decaf now.” — Josh Luton, Gone Dry

“Movement and exercise was a huge part of getting my feet on the ground in early sobriety. Now, almost 5 years sober, I find a way to move my body every morning. I have always loved Barre, so I either attend a barre3 class or do the peloton at home.

Early on when I quit drinking, I also walked everyday and listened to books / podcasts to just deal with all of that anxious energy / bottled-up emotion. Exercise used to be a way to cope with hangovers and erase the calories of booze from the night before.

Now, like so many things as a sober person, I really find joy in exercise. It brings me clarity and peace. It doesn’t feel like a punishment, but something I prioritize and enjoy doing for myself.” — Kimberly Kearns, Unshattered Sobriety

“I’ve found that since I got sober, I stay in my body and connect with my body by incorporating physical-creative hobbies, like gardening.

Weeding is a lot of repetitive motion with my hands in the dirt, body in the sun, legs and lower body stooping and straightening. All while being surrounded by critters. Birds singing. Cicadas humming. The dogs tracking a mole. My senses are all engaged, and in the moment. They can’t help but be.

And even if I am not aware of the healing and care happening, I leave each session subtly different, as if post-shower, the slight soreness is evidence that I’m working something out of my body which is deeply engrained, as if unraveling the knots of trauma. XO” —Jo Christian (they/them), Recovering Trans Mystic

“Oh Sobriety. How I love thee. Let me count the ways: Hot Yoga; Walks in Forest; Ben Holt’s dynamic breathing sessions (free) on Insight Timer app; Water in a seafoam green Yeti that’s adorned with a sticker that says ‘Sober AF’; Podcasts daily; Women For Sobriety zoom meetings on Wednesday nights; Hugging my pre-teen kids, even when they need extra deodorant that day; Eating dates (like the fruit), not app-delivered men; Writing; more Hot Yoga” — Stephanie Gibbons, The Mediocre Parent

“I took up weightlifting when I got sober and it has reshaped my body and my mind.” — Amber Benson, Seamripper

“For me sleep is number one—everything else follows, and contributes to the quality of it. I go to sleep much earlier than when I was drinking, and I wake up earlier, too.

Recently I’ve been taking my morning coffee outside and sitting on the step to bask in the sun. This has been helpful in getting me into my body first thing in the morning before jumping into my day. WHO KNEW?! 😂

Every morning I also write a gratitude list in my ‘Five Minute Journal’ and set my day up intentionally.

Other than that, movement in some form has become important to me. I notice when I’m not moving (whether walks, dancing, strength training, muay thai, yoga) my mental and emotional health suffer. Movement is usually the first thing to go when I’m slipping again.

A more overarching thing I do for my body as a sober woman is try to sync my cycle with what I’m doing from day to day. I set my month up in a way that will be supportive of my moods and energy as best I can to leave extra space when I know I’ll need it. Absolutely life-changing!” — Kaitlyn Ramsay, Loving the Dark Parts

“I start my day with a couple devotion/meditation books and try to remember those thoughts during the day. My days are all about my puppy, actually she’s 5 yo but small 🐾 We go on numerous walks on our small property of 2 acres, and she keeps me in the moment and grateful. Try to eat mostly at home with very little fast food. A piece or two of dark chocolate while reading before bedtime.” —Cheryl

“I think of embodiment in layers now. I need regular movement to feel regulated, so I tend to go on long power walks several times a week (often at our local gym so that my kids can play supervised at the same time, too). Hot yoga goes in this category too.

But, walking and hot yoga often get me out of my head/body, in a sense. So, I’ve learned to also add practices that tune me into my body. Breathwork, foot rolling (I keep one under my desk at work), stretching/light yoga—these help me feel more connected to my body.

And, sleep, water, and healthy food are the foundations to being able to do any of these things. They’re the basic gas in the tank. I can only go so far without maintaining the basics (although I often try!).” — Birdy Kelleher, Ph.D., Take Care

“Walks, a bit of lifting twice a week, going to bed at a decent time (wild), eating real food, remembering to breathe when I’m tense, and doing the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise when I need to slow my brain down.

5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3 things I can feel, 2 I can smell, 1 I can taste

Sobriety made me notice what my body actually needs.” — Jo at Beyond Sober, Beyond Sober

“Ways I care for my body now that I am sober:

Morning yoga at home via YouTube (at-home exercise is the only way this is gonna happen on a regular basis-I can be in my pjs, plus-it is free-I like free).

Getting out and into nature is a must for my body, but truly it is as much or more for my mental health. I walk my grand-dog three times a day at the lake and park across the street from my house.

I do home workouts. I use an online app program called Every Mother. I began it when I was diagnosed with Diastasis Recti, but I still use the program because the creator is a physical therapist and her workouts are pelvic floor friendly, low impact, yet have lots of choices in length of time, intensity, and focus (upper body, lower body, all over).

I have always loved dancing, so when I got sober, I thought I would have to say goodbye to it as drinking and getting wild on a club dance floor. But in sobriety, I host my own personal dance parties nearly every day. I love to blast some 80s and 90s pop music or some Motown and just have fun, dancing out my big energy or shaking off some sadness, dancing myself to a good mood.

I have grown to love being outside doing the lawn care and creating and tending to a few gardens. Weeding is so meditative, so peaceful. I cherish leaving my phone in the house while I listen to the cooing of the mourning doves or the cheer cheer of the cardinals. Mowing the lawn used to really intimidate me, but now, when I am done, I feel like the biggest badass.

I treasure frequent hot baths in my tub with rose scented epsom salts-my favorite way to decompress, especially when I feel overstimulated.

I end my day with another session of just ten or twenty minutes of calming evening or bedtime yoga. Yoga with Bird is my go to for this.

Each one of these habits and practices supports and protects my mental and physical health, which in turn supports and protects my sobriety.” — Rosemary Writes & Recovers 🌹, Rosemary Writes and Recovers

“I love this question because these have been the building blocks toward strengthening my sobriety. From stabilizing to enhancing really. I’ve been consistently meditating for 15 minutes in the morning every day. Started out with guided and lower minutes first. This helps ground me into the start of the day. It’s mostly silent practice where I focus on my breathing and when I wander I gently come back.

Fitness – strength training, level 2 HR cardio (stairs, treadmill, rowing, varies), yoga, walking 15K (for now, I was doing 10K). Nutrition has been primarily whole organic foods, very little processed food if any, I track my food with MyFitnessPal, have worked with various nutritionists over the years to understand food more, research which types of food help regulate my nervous system because how we feel is related to how things are produced in our gut, what we feed ourselves.

And sleep – Same time to bed everyday 8p and up around 4a. Prioritizing 7-8 hours of sleep for mental and physical recovery. No phone in room (for years now) and now no watch (Apple Watch, found myself cheating and looking at messages in middle of night 🤣), invested in proper sheets, pillows, temperature is around 62F, it’s dark. I’ve tried to create a place that my signals to my body, this is where you recover.

I’ll note that all of these aren’t nailed everyday, I try my best but based on how my body feels, I listen and adjust accordingly. Thank you for this opportunity to share! 💛” — Josh Woll, The Sober Creative

What ways do you care for your body now that you’re sober? Please share in the comments!

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