According to, Current Opinion in Psychology, “Substance Use Disorders (SUD) continue to be a significant public health concern. Exercise has been examined as an adjunctive approach to addiction treatment in an effort to improve mental health, physical health, and substance use outcomes.”

A seven-week pilot program, Healthy Choices for Your Recovery Body was presented by a Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Services SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education) assistant for SNAP eligible individuals, to a men’s substance use recovery group in Jefferson County.  The program supplied nutrition education, food resource management, food safety, portion control, and information about physical activity. The SNAP-Ed. Assistant emphasized the importance of physical activity, which could aid in the substance abuse recovery process. Physical activity examples included thirty minutes a day of moderate of exercise like walking, bicycle riding, weight training and social dancing. Small changes to individual’s daily activities were also discussed; examples of these changes included taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a distance from stores, and low impact exercises when sitting.

Seventeen Men, who ranged in age from 21 to 63, (11 of 17) of participants showed a 65% improvement in one or more physical activity behaviors (i.e., exercising for at least 30 minutes, doing workouts to build and strengthen muscles, or making small changes

to be more active).

Current Opinion in Psychology: Volume 30, December 2019, Pages 103-108 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X18302744