Start Walking to Stop Smoking

The journal Addiction contains an article which reviews 14 studies reporting on the efforts of smokers to quit. Twelve of them compared the benefits of exercise vs. no-exercise on craving scores, withdrawal symptoms, and smoking behavior, while 2 of them compared exercise of different intensities. Nearly all the studies involved current smokers temporarily abstaining for the duration of the experiment.

All 12 studies comparing exercise with no-exercise found a positive effect on one or other of the effectiveness measures. Decreases in stress, anxiety, tension, concentration, irritability, and restlessness were fairly consistent across the board. The size of these effects of exercise was equivalent to sugar or nicotine-replacement therapy.

In 3 studies looking at exercise intensity, one found there was significantly lower craving with high-intensity cycling for 5 minutes; a brisk 1-mile walk had the largest and longest-lasting post-exercise effect, reducing cravings for as long as 50 minutes.

A similar review done by the Cochrane Library has found evidence favoring exercise in only one trial that exercise helps smokers quit long-term. It’s suggested that exercise may, in addition to reducing cravings, help combat the tendency to weight gain in those that quit smoking. Either way, exercise has sufficient health benefits to make it a ‘worthwhile exercise’.