Studies have shown that exercise can be used to treat/prevent addiction in many ways. Exercise can be an antidote and a type of inoculation against addiction. As an antidote, exercise changes an addict's life by introducing something new and bringing a challenge and pleasure. Exercise is also antithetical to addicts' behavior in that addicts can't be serious exercisers and vice versa. Exercise helps prevent recovering addicts from relapsing by forcing them to try something new which allows them to learn about alternative healthy options as opposed to doing drugs or alcohol. It engages the brain and gets the mind to think of something other than drugs, reprogramming the basal ganglia. It can stop and reverse the damage from alcoholism as well
