Fitness | Fitness Training Tips

In London, there was recently a study done on exercise and smokers. Research published in the international medical journal Addiction showed that moderate exercise significantly reduced the intensity of smokers’ nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

The study’s lead author and professor is Dr. Adrian Taylor at the University of Exeter. He and his colleagues looked at exercise that could be done outside of a gym. Walking and doing stretching exercises just five minutes each day was enough to help smokers alleviate their immediate need for a nicotine fix. The results were as effective as a nicotine patch.

Dr. Taylor’s theory is that exercise produces the mood-enhancing hormone called dopamine that may play the lead factor in reducing a smoker’s dependence on nicotine.

This is good news, but certainly not altogether new. Anything that can be done to distract a smoker when they have a craving can help. This is why so many smokers turn to snacking and end up gaining weight. Certainly a physical activity is better than reaching for that Tootsie Roll Pop!