The science
Substance use dysregulates the body's stress response. Movement is one of the fastest ways to restore it — increasing BDNF, regulating cortisol, and improving sleep.
You don't need a gym. You need consistency.
Starting small
Twenty minutes of walking, four days a week, outperforms most antidepressants in mild-to-moderate depression — and it stacks with treatment, not against it.
At Avedis, daily movement is woven into the schedule. Yoga, gym, hikes, breathwork. Not as punishment. As medicine.
Written by
Sarah
Primary Therapist, LCSW
Sarah leads individual therapy with a trauma-informed, attachment-based approach.