A Phenomenological Inquiry into Exercise to Support Women’s Embodied Recovery from Substance Use Disorder.

Background and Purpose:

Women report using substances for a range of reasons, including to feel pleasure and feel good, (Kersey et al., 2022), and to be disconnected from their body and emotions. These reasons are experienced within the body, yet research that examines the body as a key factor in substance use recovery for women is sparse. Of particular interest is how women use exercise to develop positive mind-body connection, to feel good, and to shape the narrative they hold about their lives. Guided by Critical Feminist Theory and drawing on the philosophical work of Merleau-Ponty, this study used phenomenology to understand the lived experience of exercise for women in recovery from substance use. The intent of the study was to develop deeper understanding of what role exercise plays in recovery and how exercise is experienced by women.

Methods:

Using Reflective Lifeworld methods, in-depth, semi-structured interviews (60-120 minutes) were conducted with 15 adult women self-identified as in recovery from substance use. Purposive sampling through a recovery network was used to recruit adult women at least six months in recovery and engaged in exercise. Participant recovery time ranged from six months to over twenty years. Substance use history included alcohol, methamphetamine, opioids, cannabis, cocaine, and psychedelics. Exercise modalities included strength training, yoga, water aerobics, group fitness classes, hiking, sober sport, and more. Reflective Lifeworld Research methods guided rigorous qualitative meaning analysis (Dahlberg & Dahlberg, 2019). Through iterative engagement, being in the hermeneutic spiral, and dwelling with the data (Dibley et al., 2020), the essence of exercise in recovery was revealed.

Results:

Women in recovery from substance use reported exercise provides a mechanism to 1) create positive embodiment, 2) shape the narrative about who they are and how they show up in their lives, and 3) feel good. Exercise is a way for women to reinhabit their body while deciding how they use their body in the world. Participants described their use of exercise as purposeful and an essential aspect of their recovery; it was something they intentionally chose to engage in as a way to feel good, as a way to feel powerful and strong, and as a way to maintain their independence. In many ways, exercise was described in terms that were opposite to their lives when using substances.

Conclusions and Implications:

The study demonstrated that the use of exercise to support recovery from substance use for women is a dynamic, personalized, accessible, and sustainable tool. Exercise, like substance use, occurs with the body and produces specific physical and emotional feelings. Exercise, though, provides a way to develop positive embodiment and way for women to decide how they want to exist within their lives, which is vital throughout the recovery process and to sustain recovery over time. Considering women are less likely to seek formal treatment (Falker et al., 2022), social work practitioners can consider the use of exercise to support recovery and educators can include more versatile and holistic factors related to recovery when teaching about substance use disorders.