Alcohol and substance use disorders have major health, social, and economic consequences for individuals, carers, family and friends, employers, and public services. Various legal, economic, social, and educational approaches aim to prevent alcohol and substance misuse but further ways are needed to help the most vulnerable. Usually they are treated with a variety of drug treatments and counselling based approaches, but these are often ineffective. Drug treatments present their own problems (e.g. addiction to the drug being used to treat the disorder and bad side effects) so there is a need for options which may not have these complications and improve treatment.
Physical activity (including lifestyle activity such as walking, structured exercise, and organised sport) could help in preventing and treating alcohol and substance use disorders, perhaps because it diverts attention away from the addiction, helps to build confidence or improves mood, and reduces withdrawal symptoms. Physical activity, unlike drug therapies, has little or no bad side effects and is potentially cheap and easily accessible.
This study aimed to examine the research on physical activity in relation to alcohol and substance use disorders so that it could be better understood if and how physical activity could help prevent and treat those with these problems. The findings from the review will be summarised and used to get the views of services providers, funders, service users and other people, on what the best interventions were and for whom they should be offered. The possible costs of such services were estimated.