Introduction to Running for Recovery

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Welcome to the Husband Material podcast , where we help Christian men outgrow porn . Why ? So you can change your brain , heal your heart and save your relationship . My name is Drew Boa and I'm here to show you how let's go . Today , we are talking about my favorite activity , running , because running is one of the main reasons why I've been able to stay free from porn for the past 10 years . And , by the way , everything I say in this episode about running also applies to walking , especially fast walking , and you're going to hear how I got into running 20 ways running or walking can revolutionize your sexual recovery , and how you can get into it with the Husband Material Running Club . First , how did I get into this man ?

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I never liked running when I was a kid . I thought it was boring . Of course , it was exhausting and it felt like a burden when a cross-country coach was telling me exactly what I should do every time I go running . So I thought I hated running , but the truth is , I hated the version of running that I had to do in PE class and on the cross-country team . Everything changed in my senior year of high school , during basketball season , when a member of my own basketball team threw me against a wall and broke my hand In order to stay in shape . While I couldn't

How I Discovered My Love for Running

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play basketball , I ran Without a coach telling me what to do , without a track forcing me to go in circles and circles . I started exploring my neighborhood . I didn't have rules and requirements for how long or how fast I would go . I did it my way and I discovered that I actually love running , and I wonder how many of you might learn to love it if you found a version of running or walking that works for you Now .

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Running is an essential part of my life . It is one of the most powerful practices I have found for outgrowing porn , and I'm going to tell you 20 reasons why . Now , a lot of these ways that running can revolutionize your recovery are not unique to this activity . The unique part is that running or walking does them all at once . There are lots of different healthy habits for sexual recovery , but in this one habit of running or walking at a decent pace , you can get 20 or more really helpful benefits just by

Regulation and Breathing Benefits

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doing this one thing . So it is a high impact activity . It is very efficient , it is very effective , especially if you start getting a routine of running .

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I want to tell you about 20 ways running can revolutionize your sexual recovery . You ready , here we go . Number one regulation . Why does porn have so much power over us ? Because it's a regulator . It helps to regulate our autonomic nervous system . In other words , when you feel angry , agitated , anxious or sexually aroused , porn calms you down . When you feel numb , zoned out , dead inside , empty and hollow , porn wakes you up . It's kind of like a thermostat in your house . When your emotional temperature is too hot or too cold , porn serves the function of bringing you back into balance . And guess what ? Running does the same thing in so many ways .

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One of the primary ways that running provides regulation to your brain and body is through , number two , breathing . Running automatically deepens your breathing . Many of you know this . Right , you're , running forces you to breathe more . You have to flood your brain with oxygen in order to run , and even in order to walk at a fast pace , your breathing will deepen , your lungs will fill up , and this is so helpful . It plugs your prefrontal cortex back in . It increases your capacity to make decisions you can be proud of . So , even just by running , first of all , you're getting deeper breathing .

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And also , number three , you're getting mindfulness , because , in order to run or walk , you have to have a sensory awareness of your surroundings . Running engages your senses sight , sound , touch and , as a result , it keeps you in the present moment . You know when I'm running I notice the leaves on the trees , I see the clouds in the sky , I'm paying attention to the weather , I see passing cars , I see people going by . All of that is mindfulness . And guess what ? One of the best ways to prevent relapse that has been proven by research is mindfulness . Breathing and mindfulness go together , and when you run , you automatically

Mindfulness and Embodiment Through Running

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do both . It's remarkable when I teach clients how to efficiently and effectively prevent relapse . Breathing and mindful observation are two of the major pieces .

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The fourth benefit of running that I want to talk about is embodiment . Most of us inhabit an increasingly digital , disembodied daily existence . We're on screens all the time , at work , even at home , and so we live so much of our lives disembodied up in our heads . Running helps you get out of your head and into your body , away from screens . Going for a run or a walk can get you out of the house if you've been cooped up all day at home or if you've been slaving away in an office , and even if you run at a gym , you're still getting out of the house , which is helpful .

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Benefit number five to running is bilateral stimulation . When you walk or when you run , you are using both feet . You are stimulating both sides of your body and brain . Feet . You are stimulating both sides of your body and brain . Many of you are aware of EMDR , or brain spotting , which uses the power of bilateral stimulation to help create coherence and bring balance to your nervous system . Well , I have good news for you you can harness the power of bilateral stimulation even without trauma therapy through something as simple as going for a walk or a run . Again , running is not the only way to do bilateral stimulation , but it's really cool that you do it automatically in addition to all these other things Like .

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Number six , running releases energy . If you are experiencing intense emotions , post-traumatic stress or overwhelming sexual arousal and your energy needs a place to go , let it out through your feet , let it out through your lungs . The breathing , mindfulness , embodiment and bilateral stimulation of running all combine to give what's inside of you a different outlet than an orgasm . Sometimes , a relapse seems inevitable when you don't perceive any other outlet for what you're feeling in your body than an orgasm . Running gives you another release and , especially if you run for longer than 30 minutes , you're putting yourself in a really good position to prevent relapse , because research indicates that if you don't resist a sexual urge and you let it come and let it pass , usually it won't last more than 30 minutes

Processing Emotions and Building Connections

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. So if you can get out and run for 30 minutes or more , you can probably weather the storm of whatever trigger tornado you're going through .

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The seventh reason why I love running and why it's so great for sexual recovery is that it gives me space and time to reflect . Similar to journaling , it creates a space for me to digest whatever experiences I need to process . When I don't know how I'm feeling , sometimes when I go for a run I get clarity . And not only that , I get to think about it , I get to really feel it . It's an opportunity to feel whatever I need to feel and to think about whatever I need to think about Like a blank page . A run is a great opportunity for reflection and emotional processing instead of sexualizing our emotions through porn .

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The eighth way that running can revolutionize your sexual recovery is through solitude and community . For me , going for a run or a walk can be a way to recharge . It can be a really helpful introvert time where I'm engaging in solitude without isolation . On the other hand , if I go for a run or a walk with a friend , we can have longer , better , deeper conversations . Compare this to pickleball . I love pickleball , but , man , a conversation in pickleball is going to stay at the surface level . You might be able to talk to somebody for five or ten minutes , but if you go for a long walk or run , you can have a conversation that lasts two hours and it feels like it flew by . And having a friend or a group to go running with can really boost your motivation and make the run go by more quickly , especially if you take advantage of point number nine experiences in nature .

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Running is one of the best ways to get into nature , to go into green spaces , open spaces , forests , mountains , deserts , even prairies . When I lived in Wheaton , illinois , in the upper Midwest of the United States , my favorite place to run was the Prairie Path . For some people it wasn't much , but for me it was so life-giving . Even though the Prairie Path was just

Finding Beauty and Adventure

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a slice of forest in the middle of sprawling suburbs , to me it felt like a different world . So even if you live in a big city , you can find pockets of nature in parks or maybe just a place with a great view to overlook the city .

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Nature promotes mental health . Nature absorbs trauma , and one of the best ways to allow yourself to experience it is to go for a walk or run through it . And as you do so , you will probably experience number 10 , seeing beauty . Guys , if you're outgrowing porn , you need to learn how to see beauty without possessing it or controlling it . Lust sees beauty and wants to consume it . Love sees beauty and honors it and treasures it and respects it . Running or walking in a beautiful natural space gives you a chance to see something beautiful without needing to possess it or control it . You're simply letting it come and letting it go as you go , with the flow of your run or walk , and as you do so , I often find number 11 , adventure and novelty .

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As an Enneagram type 7 and someone who has an addictive personality , I often want to push boundaries and seek out the unknown , and running gives me a healthy way to do that . I love exploring every street in my neighborhood , discovering the hidden gems , going out to the trails and finding places I've never seen before , and that's way better for my brain than scrolling on my phone and trying to see what's new out there in the world on a little screen , versus immersing myself in an environment that's new and different . Running is not about consuming , it's about connecting . And also point number 12 , it can spark creativity . Running , or walking or hiking , can put you into a flow state where new ideas emerge spontaneously . And if you've never heard the term flow state before , go look it up . It's one of the secrets to unlocking creativity and productivity . And , frankly , many of my best ideas for husband material or for this podcast have come while I'm out on a run . No surprise , sometimes if I've been struggling with something or wrestling with a problem in my head for a long time .

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If I go outside for a walk or a run , sometimes it becomes clear Often I experience number 13, . Often I experience number 13 , spiritual depth . Running allows me to just be with God , no words necessary , just like being with an old friend , where you don't have to say anything . You can just be together , comfortably , in peace , knowing each other . And if your relationship with God has been primarily intellectual , it can be so helpful to have a spiritual practice that engages your body like this , a benefit that many of you might be interested in is number 14 , better sleep .

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For my birthday this year , I took six friends to the Manitou Incline , my favorite hike here in Colorado Springs . I'm actually wearing my Manitou Incline hat while recording this . The Manitou Incline climbs 2,000 vertical feet in one horizontal mile . It is composed of 2,768 steps . In other words , it's a great workout with a great view . It's my favorite place to go . So my friends came with me and

Physical and Mental Benefits

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one of them has been having sleep troubles . He hasn't been able to sleep for a long time and he told me that after he hiked the incline with me , he slept better that night than he has all year . If you want better sleep , cardiovascular exercise , especially through walking or running , can be a game changer . It can also change .

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Number 15 , your appetite , if you want space to enjoy more food or to feel better after eating a big meal . The more you walk or run , the more calories you burn , the more food you need to eat and the more food you get to enjoy . As a result , I think running can really improve your relationship with food and with your body in general . Which leads me to number 16 . More self-confidence If you go for a run , no matter how far you went or how fast you ran . It's something you can feel proud of . It's a redemptive risk and no matter what the outcome is going for , a run is worth celebrating Along the way . You might experience number 17 , endorphins and dopamine . You may experience what is often called a runner's high . Some of you have never experienced this and you've said running is never enjoyable . I've never felt a runner's high . You probably won't experience that at first , but as you get used to it , if you turn it into a routine , eventually your brain and body might start to really like it , and when that happens , you experience number 18 , delayed gratification .

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Now , this is so important for any type of addiction recovery , including porn and sex addiction . Running can help to reset your brain's reward system so that you're not getting the immediate gratification of porn or masturbating . You're getting the delayed gratification , which is more of what our brains were designed to experience , where you put in work and something's difficult and you get rewarded on the other side of it . And the more we choose delayed gratification instead of immediate gratification , we start to appreciate the process . We start to enjoy the journey , not just the end . And that's so important because in order to outgrow porn , we need to become more comfortable being uncomfortable . We need to become more tolerant of feelings that feel intolerable , and running is a great way to practice that . Sometimes it's tough , sometimes we want to stop , sometimes it hurts . Running helps us to be present to that and to push through it and keep going . And , of course , there's an unhealthy way that we might force ourselves to run a certain distance or to run a certain speed . But what I'm advocating for here is slow , steady growth and getting out of your comfort zone and running a little farther every time or a little faster every time , and one of the reasons I'm committed to running long-term is number 19, .

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Longevity Distance running or hiking or backpacking , is an activity that you can not only continue as you get older . You can actually get better at it as you get older . Let me tell you I am not getting faster in my 30s , but I last longer when I go for a run . In my 20s , the thought of doing a marathon was extremely intimidating , and now for me , it's not . As your body gets older , you may not have the speed that you had when you were younger , but you can have greater endurance , and that's awesome . This is an activity that you can continue for your

Join the Husband Material Running Club

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whole life . Some of the higher intensity activities out there are not as gentle or suitable for older people , and running or walking is something you can not only do into older adulthood , it can also extend life as well , through all the different health benefits . And finally , number 20 , the most profound part about running for me is that it becomes a way of life .

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Running is a metaphor . There are so many lessons that come from running Finish strong , don't give up . People say that sexual recovery is a marathon , not a sprint , and I believe they're right . I think that's one of the reasons why running a marathon , or even a half marathon or even a 5k , can give you so many benefits that I've just described , and more so . In summary , here are the 20 ways running or walking can revolutionize your sexual recovery Regulation , breathing , mindfulness , embodiment , bilateral stimulation , releasing energy , emotional processing , solitude and community experiences in nature , seeing beauty , adventure and novelty , sparking creativity , spiritual depth , better sleep , increased appetite , more self-confidence , endorphins and dopamine , delayed gratification , longevity and a way of life these are all the things I love about running .

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This is why it's my very favorite practice personally and why it's so helpful for outgrowing porn .

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Even if running is not your thing . To help you get outside and to help you get moving , I would like to invite you to join the Husband Material Running Club . This is open to members of the Husband Material community and all activities are welcome Running , walking , hiking , biking , swimming , skateboarding . Any of those activities can be recorded on the free app called Strava and if you would like to join this club , go down to a link in the show notes and if you're a member of the Husband Material community , then you will be approved . This is a way that we can cheer each other on , see our progress over time , celebrate each other and have more motivation to outgrow porn throughout running it . I'm so excited about this that I even wore my Colorado Springs Marathon shirt , got my Manitou Incline hat right here , my running gear to record this episode . Thanks for listening to this . I absolutely love this topic and would love to engage with any of you about it . Always remember you are God's beloved son and you he is well-pleased .