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Regular Exercise Linked With Reduced Substance Misuse
Engaging in regular physical activity has been linked with reduced illicit substance and alcohol use among individuals in recovery, according to a research review published this week.
Investigators, who reviewed 43 past studies that included more than 3000 total participants for their research project, published their findings in the journal PLOS ONE. In about 75% of the studies reviewed, regular exercise was associated with reduced substance use. Several additional health benefits were observed in study participants, including the following:
- Increased aerobic and muscular capacity;
- Reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms;
- Improved quality of sleep; and
- General improvement in health-related quality of life.
“People think that during treatment, people should only do psychotherapeutic treatments … but that’s not what we’ve seen in our study,” lead study author Florence Piché, a doctoral student and researcher at Université de Montréal in Canada, told CNN. “It’s very beneficial to do physical activity in addition to the treatments.”
The most common physical activity intervention observed in the studies was a 60-minute exercise session of moderate intensity, 3 times per week, for 13 weeks. Jogging was the first choice of activity, combined with cycling, resistance exercise, elliptical training, yoga, jumping rope, ball games, and walking. The second most common activity reported was resistance exercise, also combined with aerobic activities, cycling, or an occasional sporting event.
Researchers, however, noted several limitations in their review, including that substance use disorder treatment must be adjusted to different cultures, making it difficult to build a conclusive understanding of the link between physical activity and substance use disorder treatment. Moreover, many of the studies included in the research review did not include individuals with a mental health comorbidity, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or suicide ideation.
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