The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center was recently awarded a $15.7 million dollar grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The money will help examine the role exercise plays in helping people remain sober.
The Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) study will involve more than 300 people across the country. The subjects are patients in inpatient treatment programs and have been divided into two groups – one combining treatment with vigorous exercise and the other group combining treatment with health education.
The researchers will test the subjects’ urine to monitor their abstinence and possible relapse. The hope is that the benefits of the exercise will decrease their drug use and they will enjoy an improved quality of life.
"I do not believe exercise will ever take the place of getting good 12 step treatment," said Jennifer Dewey, the Director of the Fitness Department at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. "I define good treatment as not just getting sober but actually understanding the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and physical dimensions of who we really are. It is the whole concept of mind, body and spirit."
