What is the relationship between sport and addiction?

On this occasion, from this little corner we want to talk about whether or not sport really plays a role when we are trying to overcome an addiction.

For this reason, we will talk about whether this habit brings benefits at this level and how important it is for prevent the fall into addiction, as well as we will see if it has any harmful consequences in this entire process.

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Does sport have any benefit?

Studies affirm that yes in a resounding way, since sport helps us to have some of the most important areas of our physical and mental well-being covered.

It is necessary to take into consideration that staying active provides us with a large number of benefits for our body, such as the prevention of diabetes and obesity.

It also helps us improve the entire cardiovascular system, as well as encourages the growth of our lung capacity or the increase in muscles, making it easier to avoid injuries.

But the advantages of sports practice not only remain here, but also, the person who does sports on a regular basis also

experiences emotional and psychological benefits, such as decreased stress and anxiety, you can better manage depressive symptoms and also have an overall sense of feeling good about yourself.

Moreover, when certain sports are practiced there are other benefits that are directly related to sharing an activity with other people. This, among other things, allows you to create new friendships, learn to work as a team and compete with others in a healthy way.

Everything mentioned above teaches us that practicing a sport has clear positive consequences. All this leads us to think that, if for people who are not addicted it has these benefits, for addicts or people who tend to be addicted it can also be very good. Is that so?

• You may be interested in: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

Sport and addiction

It is important to emphasize the fact that addicts often seek a refuge where they feel good about the addictive object, or that, or what they do is try to find powerful and stimulating experiences quickly. And when someone does some kind of sport on a regular basis, they will surely find considerable relief in this activity.

Let's imagine that a person has lost a loved one very recently. Not being able to stop thinking that that person is gone makes you feel very bad. He resorts to drugs, of any kind, to try to forget that suffering, and that's when a friend encourages him to play sports, for example, to play soccer.

Most likely, the addict will put all his attention on football, he will even feel excited about belonging to a team (with all the implications that entails). Playing with others he can feel more relaxed, thanks to the fact that sport produces neurotransmitters and he begins to develop a bond with other people. All of these factors will help you stop thinking about drugs, as football will help you feel better.

As you can see, the assumption that sport is good for fighting addictions is not at all wrong. If the addict has the ability to remain focused on the practice of sport and have the necessary motivation, this habit will be a very important ally so that he does not fall back into drugs. In addition, having other colleagues around will also be a determining factor for this.

However, could there be a downside to all of this?

The less positive side of sport for addicts

Although we have already seen that sport is beneficial for addicts, this, like everything, can have its negative side if we do not take the following into account.

If the person has an obsessive or overly competitive profile this can be a bit more complicated, obviously not counting the risk of injury. It is possible that the person begins to play sports with his best intention, to feel healthy, but that competitiveness or obsession causes this to end up being an addiction. Let's not forget that any behavior that requires effort and that we like can hook us, so it is advisable not to focus exclusively on them.

For all this, we can conclude that sport is good for almost anyone, and that for potential addicts it is a form of prevention. However, you must always keep your attention so that it does not become a problem.