Eminem: Running Was My Recovery
The successful rapper beat an addiction to prescription painkillers with the help of running.
Men’s Journal published an interesting piece on Eminem, the controversial rapper and actor who recently recovered from an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.
In the article, Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) shares how he took to the treadmill, which he found was a perfect way to lose weight (he maintained a poor diet and overate due to stomach pain caused by prescription pill abuse), increase endorphins and help him sleep. He lost close to 80 pounds in the process.
“It’s easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise. One addiction for another but one that’s good for them. I got an addict’s brain, and when it came to running, I think I got a little carried away,” Eminem writes.
Eminem states in the article that he ran 17 miles a day on the treadmill—2 separate sessions of one hour each that consisted of about 8.5 miles per session. He admits it was too much, “All the constant pounding from the running began to tear up my hip flexors.” He eventually transitioned to a more moderate routine that entails both cardio and strength training.
Eminem has been one of the most successful names in rap music over the last 15 years, winning 15 Grammy awards and selling more than 40 million albums.
READ MORE: Men’s Journal