ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As death rates have increased over the last decade, one agency in New York state is calling alcohol "a growing women's health issue."

Working up a sweat is the key to more than just physical health. Just ask Kara Izzo.

“It just connects me with other people, and at ROCovery Fitness, it connects me with other people who are also in recovery,” Izzo said.

She’s been in recovery from alcoholism since 2006, something she struggled with through her teens and adulthood with her first drink at 13. 

“Maybe I’ll stop when I’m in college, maybe I’ll stop when I graduate. Maybe I’ll stop when I have children," Izzo said. "There was always a time I would stop — in the future.”

She says she overcame decades of alcohol abuse for her two children who were 4 and 8 at the time, though she admits it was a difficult process.

“It was scary to conceive stopping, it was scary to wonder how to do that, and I had a picture of what an alcoholic looked like, and it wasn’t me,” Izzo said.

She’s one of the lucky ones.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports says alcohol-related death rates for women have gone up by 85% in the last decade, calling alcohol "a growing women's health issue."

“A lot of women feel like I did before I came into recovery - that there’s some fear there and some stigma there that people aren’t seeking treatment,” Izzo said.

ROCovery Fitness Executive Director Jonathan Westfall says it's a disturbing trend his organization has noticed too, only made worse by the pandemic.

“There’s isolation, you know, addiction feeds on isolation," Westfall said. "And I think that wherever there’s fear and isolation and stigma, addiction is going to take hold.”

He says the goal at ROCovery is to foster a welcoming environment for all marginalized groups, including women. In fact, a majority of his staff is made up of women, including Kara, who just can’t get enough of ROCovery.

“Being in my own recovery, [it] really helps to recognize when people come in how scary it can be to walk into a gym or walk into a gym that’s also about recovery," Izzo said. "And it’s really fulfilling and gratifying to me to be able to help somebody and ease that transition.”

Her message? There’s hope — just don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“I have fun, I have friends, I have fellowship, I have connection. My life is bigger today than it was before,” Izzo said.

Anyone can join ROCovery free programs with 48 hours of sobriety, just call 585-484-0234, or visit ROCoveryFitness.org.