*Disclaimer: Please note that parts of this English sci-fly were automatically translated.*
During addiction treatment, people may be tempted at home to light a cigarette, drink alcohol, or use another substance after all. Craving, meaning a strong desire or urge to use a substance, often arises at recognisable moments, such as when experiencing stress or low mood, or when exposed to an addiction-related cue. Physical activity can support addiction treatment. However, it is not yet sufficiently clear how, when, and for whom physical activity is most helpful. The conceptual Activity to Cope model proposes using enjoyable and feasible physical activity purposefully at moments when personal vulnerabilities to craving or relapse occur.
KEY POINTS
- Physical activity can improve mood and emotion regulation, support cognitive functioning, and reduce craving and responses to addiction-related cues.
- The model predicts that physical activity may be more effective when it is not only recommended in general, but also explicitly taught as a response to personal triggers and craving.
- Physical activity is used directly at the moment of vulnerability (just-in-time).
- The existing association between trigger → addictive behaviour is repeatedly interrupted.
- Through repetition, a new learned behavioural association may develop, potentially supported by changes in underlying neurocognitive processes: trigger → physical activity.
- Physical activity can serve both as an alternative behaviour and as an enjoyable and rewarding activity that helps regulate craving and negative emotions.
- Enjoyment, freedom of choice, and practical feasibility are important because the activity needs to be available and sustainable precisely at moments of vulnerability.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The Activity to Cope model is a theoretical framework based on insights from the literature. Future research needs to examine whether purposefully linking physical activity to personal triggers does indeed provide added value over general physical activity programmes. Further research is also needed to determine for whom this approach works and which type, intensity, duration, and timing of physical activity are most appropriate.
In practice, a person and their therapist can explore together:
- which personal situations, emotions, or cues trigger craving
- which enjoyable activity can be performed immediately at such a moment, such as walking or climbing stairs
- how a concrete if-then plan can be developed, for example: “If I notice stress or craving, then I will go for a ten-minute walk.”
- how using physical activity to cope with craving during addiction treatment can be combined with a more general or structured physical activity programme.
Structured and regular physical activity can offer broader physical, affective, and cognitive benefits. Activity to Cope adds a personalised, just-in-time application: engaging in physical activity when a person experiences craving or is vulnerable to relapse. The two approaches can therefore complement each other.
DETAILS
Larsen, J. K., Hollands, G. J., Kremers, S. P. J., Vink, J. M., & Wiers, R. W. (2026). How physical activity can reduce addiction through coping with craving vulnerabilities: The “Activity to Cope” model. Heliyon, 12, e45317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e45317
Image: Claire, R. (2020, December 8). A person walking in a park [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-walking-in-a-park-6126883/
This sci-fly was written by Junilla Larsen (Radboud University) for RAD-blog, the blog about smoking, alcohol, drugs and diet.