Exercise serves as a non-pharmacological approach to treating addiction, impacting various stages of the addiction process and offering additional health benefits, such as preventing obesity and related diseases. Engaging in exercise triggers the same reward system in the brain as drug use does. This activation is believed to be beneficial in preventing and decreasing drug use. Additionally, exercise is said to reduce the levels of a neurotransmitter called glutamate in the brain region called the striatum, protecting against excessive stimulation of certain receptors associated with drugs after prolonged drug exposure.

Exercise also impacts the adaptability of the brain by altering the structure of genetic material in areas linked to drug addiction. On the other hand, prolonged drug use causes dysfunction in a part of the brain called the mesolimbic system, which is rich in dopamine. This dysfunction may lead to reduced dopamine function, leading addicts to use drugs as a way to compensate for lower levels of dopamine. 

Fortunately, exercise provides an alternative non-drug reward that competes with drugs, reducing the likelihood of drug use by triggering dopamine signaling in the reward pathway. At New Life Recovery, we believe that this emphasizes how important dopamine is in the addiction process and underscores how promising fitness therapy is to addiction recovery.