A recent study from the Vanderbilt Addiction Centre has found that heavy users of cannabis – averaging almost 6 joints per day and did not want treatment – cut their craving and use of cannabis 50 percent by exercising on a treadmill.
Twelve participants spent 30-minutes on a treadmill for 10 sessions over a two-week period, and within the first five sessions, the cravings dropped dramatically, according to the study published in PLoS ONE journal.
"There is no way currently to treat cannabis dependence with medication, so this is big considering the magnitude of the cannabis problem in the U.S.,” said co-author Dr Peter Martin. “And this is the first time it has ever been demonstrated that exercise can reduce cannabis use in people who don’t want to stop."
Other research has shown similar results for smoking – a single 10-minute session of daily exercise can help smokers reduce cravings. In addition, exercise reduces stress and risk of depression, which are both linked to addiction. The key is simply to choose an activity you love so that it doesn’t become a chore.
With regard to the study results, Martin said, "It shows that exercise can really change the way the brain works and the way the brain responds to the world around us. And this is vital to health and has implications for all of medicine.”