title: Aerobic exercise for alcohol recovery: rationale, program description, and preliminary findings.
abstract: Alcohol use disorders are a major public health concern. Despite the demonstrated efficacy of a number of different treatments for alcohol dependence, relapse remains a major problem. Healthy lifestyle changes may contribute to long-term maintenance of recovery, and interventions targeting physical activity, in particular, may be especially valuable as an adjunct to alcohol treatment. In this article, the authors discuss the rationale and review potential mechanisms of action whereby exercise might benefit alcohol dependent patients in recovery. They then describe the development of a 12-week moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program as an adjunctive intervention for alcohol dependent patients in recovery. Preliminary data from a pilot study (N=19) are presented, and the overall significance of this research effort is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Butler Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abrantes
authors.forename: Jennifer P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Bess H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jakicic
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Julie R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Oakley
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ramsey
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kahler
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Mary Ella
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dubreuil
authors.forename: Alan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055502:Secondary Prevention