Addictions can be helped with exercise
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as, “a compulsion that persists in spite of negative health and social consequences.” Many people use and abuse drugs, but only some – relatively few — become addicts. Many wonder why addictions form in some and not others. In some individuals, exposure to things that are habit forming actually causes structural changes in the brain. The exciting thing about exercise is that if individuals engage in exercise, they may prevent addictions from starting and certainly can weaken addictive behavior over time. Exercise sparks dopamine production, rebuilds toxic damage to the brain, battles anxiety and depression, and enhances self-esteem.
Endurance exercise can be used to effectively treat drug addiction, according to researchers from the University of Arizona (interventionservices.org). In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, researchers measured the “neurobiological rewards” of treadmill running. Their study showed that the human brain experiences a chemical reward after long periods of exercise, and showed there is evidence that this reward can be used as a way that incentivizes those battling addiction.
Further, exercise provides a “high” that can be important for addicts battling cravings. In addition to decreasing anxiety and stress, physical activity helps increase levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is associated with feelings of pleasure, is often diminished over time by substance abuse.
Also, interventionservices.org cites the results from an exercise and addiction study:, “Beyond recovery, exercise can help mitigate brain damage caused by drug dependency. In a 2012 study published in the neuroscience journal Synapse, rats were given high doses of methamphetamine until the drug burned out their dopamine and serotonin receptors. After the substance was taken away, half of the rats were left alone in their cages, while the others were made to run. The results showed that the running rats significantly reduced the meth-induced brain damage, and had begun to repair their dopamine and serotonin receptors. For the rats that stayed in their cages, the negative effects of the drug lingered.”
So, “exercise also boosts dopamine, exercise rebuilds the brain by increasing neurogenesis, exercise battles the anxiety and depression that can come with withdrawal, exercise increases elf-esteem, and exercise can be an antidote and inoculation against addiction,” according to Peter Provet, Director, Odyssey House, New York. Therefore, if an individual is struggling with addiction, it would definitely be worth a try!