SMOKING and excessive eating and drinking are different forms of addiction. Some people are natural addicts while others develop the habit. These facts are mentioned in John Ratey's "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain." The book talks about the amazing benefits of exercise in healing addiction. When an addict is successfully treated, he often ends up needing something to fill the emptiness in his brain and body. Ratey demonstrates that the best thing to fill up an ex-addict's life is sport. Exercise can act as an antibiotic that prevents addiction from entering someone's life. It makes one feel great, have self-respect, enjoy life more and, most important, achieve success. As we all know, an addict can sometimes spend his entire life trying not to relapse, and exercise can prevent relapse because it makes your lungs, muscles and brain stronger and more resistant to relapse. Exercise forces the ex-addict to adapt to new stimulants. It does not provide a "quick rush" as drugs do, but rather it enhances one's general health and reduces the chance of a relapse. Exercise makes the brain look forward to it instead of the next dose of drugs. Dopamine is the chemical that controls the brain's reward and pleasure system. Coffee, drugs, alcohol, sweets, gambling, game videos, shopping, etc. are all forms of addiction. A Dutch study showed that many of those who practice dangerous sports do not have strong restraints and that is why they cannot stop. They get a high from the excitement of dangerous sports, which releases dopamine in their brains. A 2004 study conducted by a group British researchers showed that exercising for 10 minutes can reduce addiction to alcohol. Usually, withdrawal stops the brain from releasing dopamine and that is when your body becomes eager for more cigarettes, alcohol or whatever your addiction is. This is the reason why some addicts relapse and go back to square one. But through exercise, an addict can get over his addiction. An addicted smoker can kick the habit by exercising for five minutes every day. Nicotine is unusual compared with other addictive stimulants, because it acts as a stimulant and depressant at the same time. Exercise fights the desire to smoke. It increases dopamine while reducing anxiety and pressure, the two symptoms of severe withdrawal.
