Doctoral student Florence Piché and her colleagues examined 43 studies that had addressed the question. Sixteen of these studies looked at whether physical activity led to a reduction or cessation of use, and three-quarters of these 16 studies found that this occurred when participants in an addiction program added physical activity to usual care.

“We really saw a drop in use, then symptoms related to addiction,” summarized M^Me pitch. We saw a better outcome in terms of their addictions but also in terms of their physical condition. We were winners on all counts. »

Almost a third of the studies examined also measured a reduction in depressive symptoms in participants who exercised.

The most studied form of physical activity was running. Other researchers have looked at yoga, cycling, strength training, walking, or other forms of exercise. The most common frequency of physical activity was three sessions of about an hour per week.

There is currently no scientific consensus on how physical activity might help fight addiction. For example, it could be that physical activity helps reduce the feeling of “lack” (the ” Demand ‘, in English), which is felt when consumption decreases or stops, said Ms^Me pitch.

People who have an addiction problem, she adds, “rarely have just one addiction problem.”

“It’s often associated with a psychiatric disorder, so supporting the other psychiatric disorder could come into play for the person’s overall mental health,” Frau said.^Me pitch.

It is also possible that adopting a first good lifestyle habit – physical activity – has a knock-on effect in participants’ lives, encouraging them to make other positive changes.

M^Me Piché interacts daily with people who have addiction problems. The results of this analysis confirm the benefits of physical activity that she was already seeing in the field.

“I rarely met people who didn’t want to do (physical) activity,” she confided. They’re in treatment and shelter, they’re there 24/7, so they have time. They are also really there to heal themselves. They are there to get better, so they are open to anything that can help them. »

Patients’ greatest fear is falling back into use at the end of their treatment when they return home. But those who took the opportunity to learn about physical activity are happy to come back with a buoy to hold on to if necessary.

“They tell me, ‘I have a habit I can make, that I can use instead of consuming, or if I feel the urge to consume, I’m really going to have a tool that I can use,'” M .^Me pitch.

The results of this study were published by the scientific journal PLUS ONE.