New research shows physical activity reduces cravings and daily cigarette use, offering a low-cost tool for smoking cessation.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Increased Abstinence Likelihood: Research found that participants in exercise programs were 15% more likely to achieve continuous abstinence and 21% more likely to report not smoking over a seven-day period.
- Acute Craving Management: Data indicates that even a single session of physical activity can suppress cigarette cravings for up to 30 minutes immediately following the exercise.
- Low-Cost Clinical Adjunct: Experts recommend exercise as a practical, accessible supplement to traditional cessation supports like counseling and medication to help manage withdrawal symptoms.
Exercise can help individuals quit smoking by reducing cigarette consumption, easing cravings, and improving the likelihood of long-term abstinence, according to research published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.
The study analyzed 59 randomized controlled trials involving more than 9,000 participants to explore the effects of both single sessions and long-term exercise programs on smoking cessation. Researchers found that those taking part in exercise programs were 15% more likely to achieve continuous abstinence compared with control groups. Participants were also 21% more likely to report not smoking over a seven-day period.
Furthermore, the data showed that exercise could reduce daily cigarette consumption by an average of two cigarettes per day. A single bout of exercise was found to immediately reduce cravings for up to 30 minutes.
“Something as simple as regular exercise can make a meaningful difference to people trying to quit, helping them manage cravings, smoke less, and improve their chances of quitting,” said Ben Singh, lead researcher at the Adelaide University school of allied health, in a news release.
Tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature morbidity and mortality globally, accounting for approximately 7 million deaths annually. This total includes an estimated 1.6 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke. While traditional smoking rates have decreased over the last two decades, the use of e-cigarettes has grown to include more than 100 million people worldwide.
Researchers suggested that exercise should be viewed as an additional tool to be used alongside established cessation supports.
“Exercise should not replace evidence-based quit supports such as counseling and smoking cessation medication, but it may be a practical, low-cost strategy that people can use alongside them,” said Carol Maher, senior researcher and professor of population and digital health at Adelaide University.
The research team noted that the next step involves testing how exercise can be integrated into real-world cessation programs, including clinical, community, and digital healthcare services. Future research will also examine whether exercise can support individuals attempting to quit vaping, an area where current evidence is limited.
