MILO BRYANT: Activity can sub for drugs

Twenty-five push-ups.

They're the answer to everything.

Folks who know me well probably get tired of hearing me say it. But hey, there's some truth to it.

Mad at the hubby, wife or kids? Twenty-five push-ups will take care of that anger and get you thinking straight.

Stressed about a big project or upcoming test? Twenty-five.

Worried because it's 10:29 p.m. and your daughter is about to miss her 10:30 curfew - on her first date with Stupid? Twenty-five.

And now a big, serious one.

A study found that youngsters and teens who exercised daily were half as likely to smoke as their sedentary counterparts, and 40 percent less likely to sample marijuana.

Those findings got researchers wondering why. Is it that the kids were too busy doing the exercises/sports to find time for the drugs? Or were they too exhausted from the activities to sample both the legal and illegal stuff?

Then again, could it be that exercise releases chemicals in the brain that mimic or are better than the drugs' effects?

Much more research needs to be done to prove the latter hypothesis, but anecdotal evidence is plentiful. Our brains fall in love with exercise. When we exercise for even a short time, we begin to feel better about ourselves. We have more energy. We're happier.

We're happier people to be around.

Let's think of the people in our lives who are in good or great shape. How often are they miserable? Hardly ever, right? They're usually driving the rest of us crazy by their constant perkiness and never-ending positivity.

Now think of friends - obese or skinny-minis - who are in bad physical shape. Always drama, isn't it? Nothing is ever quite right for them.

Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a part of the National Institutes of Health, brought together more than 100 specialists in exercise and neurobiology during a two-day conference in early June to explore physical activity's potential in fighting substance abuse. The NIH is spending $4 million in research grants to help with the studies.

Most drug-treatment programs have exercise components. Granted, I'm biased toward exercise, but from my research, the exercise component is usually in no way serious enough. Exercise is too often used as a diversion, to get folks thinking about something other than that next drug-induced high.

I think exercise could replace that high. Sure, there are active folks addicted to drugs. But I've seen far fewer addicted active folks than I've seen addicted sedentary folks.

I've never taken a puff off a cigarette. I haven't thought more than a few seconds about smoking weed or taking in any of the assorted "recreational" drugs. But it's difficult for me to believe anybody can get higher from anything better than a good exercise program.

So, start getting high with 25 good ones.

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Bryant holds training certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting and the Titleist Performance Institute. Reach him through the "contact" link at www.nobullfit.com.