At Stonegate Center, we choose to implement a holistic approach to the disease of addiction. This type of treatment is why Stonegate Center’s Wellness Program takes health and healing above and beyond by treating the physical, mental, social and spiritual sides of the clients in our care.
Physical Wellness at Stonegate Center
Physical Wellness is comprised of two major aspects: routine exercise and proper nutrition. Physical fitness is an important component of the holistic recovery process. As such, our curriculum includes resistance training, aerobic activity, core and stability exercises, and flexibility. Nutrition is even more essential to the body than exercise, which is why we stress a well-balanced nutrition program; this includes a proper amount of proteins, fats, fruits and vegetables daily.
Exercise
Exercise has been proven to improve the overall wellness of our clients. It helps our clients control their weight and combat sickness. Additionally, it improves mood and energy levels, helps our clients maintain a good night’s sleep, and creates a fun atmosphere in which clients can socialize and unwind.
Resistance Training
Resistance Training includes free weights, medicine balls, resistance bands, and body weight exercises. Exercises are formatted in sets, repetitions, and intensity. Resistance training is key for maintaining flexibility and balance, improving posture and mobility, and enhancing performance in everyday tasks. Studies have also shown that resistance training improves self-esteem and confidence.
Aerobic Activity
Aerobic exercise is any activity that gets your blood pumping and large muscle groups working. It’s also known as cardiovascular exercise. Activities include walking, jogging, or team sports. Studies have shown that aerobic activity lowers blood pressure, regulates blood sugar, boosts mood, as well as a host of other benefits. It’s also one of the biggest defenses against heart disease.
Core and Stability
Core and stability exercises include forward planks, side planks, hip thrusts, and weighted carries. The core muscles have two main functions; to spare the spine from excessive load, and to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body and vice versa. Having a strong, stable core helps us to prevent injuries and allows us to perform at our best.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition is the most important component to physical wellness, as well as mental wellness which is discussed further below. It reduces the risk of diseases, improves our body’s ability to fight off diseases, and improves our clients’ overall well-being. We promote a balanced diet with lean meats and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, Stonegate Center collaborates with an expert dietitian and an experienced chef to achieve these goals.
Mental Wellness at Stonegate Center
Improving mental focus to help our clients achieve their life goals is one of our main priorities here at Stonegate Center. We assist in helping clients set positive goals and then guide them and give them the opportunity to immerse themselves in tasks and activities toward that achievement. We encourage and guide our clients to set SMART goals. We prioritize goals through an activity called First Things First, which puts the most important goal at the top of the list. Then, we set smaller Daily Action Focus Goals, which the clients must work towards achieving.
SMART Goals
A SMART goal is a statement that the client makes to lead them in the direction of what they want to accomplish. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, and Time-bound. SMART goals are an effective tool that provides the clarity, focus and motivation clients will need to achieve their goals. It also improves their ability to reach them by encouraging them to define their objectives and set a completion date.
First Things First
As our client begins the goal setting process, we ask them to put their goals in order from most important to least important. After which, our masters-level clinicians will coach each client through a process of learning to prioritize goals in order to maximize their life potential in something we refer to as self-actualization. Unfortunately, clients can sometimes fall into the trap of focusing on non-important tasks while neglecting the important ones until it becomes too late to act on them. First Things First help clients to structure their daily activities and deal with them based on priority.
Daily Action Focus Goals
Once clients have prioritized goals from most important to least important, our therapists will assist clients in building a daily action plan to achieve most important life goals. For example, if a client suffers from obesity then losing weight would be a top-priority, physical goal. In order to improve his / her health, a daily plan of calorie restriction and exercise would be recommended.
Spiritual Wellness at Stonegate Center
Our # 1 goal at Stonegate is for clients to have a spiritual experience. A connection to a reality beyond that of the physical world and oneself must be established for a spiritual experience to be possible. We hold guided and unguided meditations in addition to teaching prayer principles for the purpose of making space in our lives to build this spiritual connection. We believe we are spirits with an eternal relationship beyond the bodily senses and building on this relationship is paramount to long-term sobriety.
Guided and Unguided Meditation
Meditation has been proven to manage anxiety, stress, and depression. Meditation is also beneficial for memory and overall happiness. Our wellness program includes guided meditations, which give each client something to focus on, as well as unguided meditations, which utilize silence or music in hopes of giving our clients the opportunity to explore their innermost self and connect to a Higher Power.
Prayer Principles
Stonegate is a Christ-centered program. Our wellness program strives to follow principles shown to us from Biblical teachings. We teach clients prayer principles such as humility, faith, and love making prayer more effective in our day to day lives.
Social Wellness at Stonegate Center
Relationships with others are an irreplaceable key to developing and building upon recovery. Client social skills are developed through recreational activities and team sports for the purpose of learning to work with others and building self-confidence.
Recreational Activities
Clients are taken through low ropes course activities as well as fun games meant to give clients opportunity to relax from daily curriculum and enjoy some leisure time to have fun.
Team Sports
Basketball, volleyball, and disk golf are just a few of the many team sports we play at Stonegate. Team sports have been proven to teach clients to work in a group for a common purpose. Participation in team sports allows clients to build lasting friendships, develop communication skills, feel a sense of community, and learn to respect their teammates and counselors.
