Exercise can reduce your desire to drink alcohol, research reveals

Alcoholism, especially in Western culture, is increasingly regarded as a socially acceptable behavior, and excessive levels of alcohol consumption are recognized as a serious problem among college students. According to one study, 45-69% of UK students drink heavy drinks weekly.

Current studies show that exercising students are less likely to be hungry for alcohol and can feel more positive.

18-25 years old classified as dangerous, harmful, and addictive drinkers using the Alcohol Screening Questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization to investigate the potential for reduced alcohol abuse in students I found 60 students.

We asked the students about their drinking habits, talked about their favorite drinks, and showed them an introductory bar and cocktail video to increase their cravings for alcohol. A questionnaire was used to measure whether this was successful in increasing craving. The results showed that it was.

After devising a 5-minute exercise routine consisting of squats, mountaineers, push-ups, jump jacks, heel kicks, and abs, watch a video and ask students to answer their craving questions, then each exercise. I asked you to do it. 45 seconds in the form of a circuit.

There were also active and passive controls. An active group that painted picture books for 5 minutes. The passive group did nothing.

After three group sessions, all students answered questions about drinking, drinking, mood, and anxiety.

The analysis showed that people in the exercise group had a significantly lower craving for alcohol, a more positive mood, and less anxiety than those in both control groups. This shows that just five minutes of exercise can have a positive effect on your thirst for drinking, reducing your intake and improving your overall health.

Students asked to color as a distraction technique also felt happier, reporting increased mood and decreased anxiety. Previous studies have shown that art reduces the level of stress and anxiety. However, the thirst for alcohol was unaffected by distracting coloring.

During the pandemic, young people, especially students, were unable to meet their friends and some had very poor mental health. It may be exacerbated by the reported increase in alcohol consumption and is often used as a form of self-medication or as a coping mechanism.

Student drinking and extreme drinking are associated with drinking problems in later years. This can lead to chronic disability disorders such as cancer, heart disease, dementia and diabetes, not to mention many associated mental health problems. In young people, it is associated with increased risk-taking and aggressive behavior. In addition, frequent drinking is associated with academic problems such as diminished interest in the subject, skipped lectures, and poor reported grades.

Why does exercise reduce cravings?

Thirsty is widely believed to contribute to the misuse of alcohol. Drinking or having a strong idea of ​​alcohol is a strong desire or urge.

Thirsty can easily be triggered by certain clues, such as at a party or restaurant, and we are often unaware of this. Thirsty underlies the most addictive behaviors, from bulimia to the use of heroin.

Past studies have shown that reducing anxiety and increasing positive mood can reduce the craving for alcohol.

Increasing evidence suggests that exercise can create euphoria and improve mood. This may be related to higher levels of happy substances in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These substances make you feel as good as alcohol.

Therefore, exercise can, to a large extent, replace drinking and reduce cravings. Similar results to ours were found in other studies.

Therefore, the next time you crave for beer, you may first try to fit into a short kinetic circuit.

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