Nicotine addiction and exercise affect the body and the brain, sometimes in overlapping ways that allow physical activity to help relieve the symptoms associated with quitting smoking. The findings of British studies offer encouraging news for people who want to kick the habit, demonstrating that when cravings hit, a little exercise may bring a lot of relief.
Exercise Eases Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
The University of Exeter in England has conducted numerous studies on the role of exercise in smoking cessation, and the findings of one study -- published in the November 2008 issue of "Psychopharmacology" -- reveal immediate physical and neurological benefits. After a single 10-minute exercise session, smokers deprived of tobacco for 15 hours reported reductions in nicotine cravings. Moreover, when they viewed images of people enjoying smoking, scans revealed that areas of their brains associated with anticipation of pleasure responded much more slowly than the brains of sedentary smokers. Summarizing the conclusions, lead author Adrian Taylor said, "Research suggests that exercise produces neurotransmitters including dopamine -- a chemical in the brain associated with positive mood. In this way, exercise may mimic the effects of nicotine in the brain and provide smokers with the same relief from negative mood as smoking."
Even Brief Exercise Brings Benefits
At the 2008 annual conference of the British Psychological Society, Exeter's Adrian Taylor presented a review of 20 studies on exercise and quitting smoking, saying all concurred that even short sessions of moderate-intensity exercise -- such as five minutes of walking -- resulted in craving reduction. "The most important finding...is that exercise does not have to be hard or long-lasting to have these effects. Even brief bouts of physical activity can be an effective aid for smokers wishing to quit," he said.
Physical Exercises
You don't have to join a gym or sign up for exercise classes to get the benefits. In fact, in advice submitted to the smoking cessation branch of U.K.'s National Health Service in 2010, the Exeter researchers theorized that rigid directives about type and duration of exercise were probably factors contributing to poor success rates recorded in past studies. George Washington University's smoking cessation program takes the same attitude, advising would-be quitters to pursue whatever activities they most enjoy. Yoga and Tai Chi can help by emphasizing breathing awareness and promoting relaxation. Running, sports, dancing and cycling can all burn off jitters, as can stretching, isometrics, climbing stairs and vigorous housework.
Psychological Exercises
McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois has developed the 20-page "Step By Step: A Self-Directed Tobacco Cessation Program" designed on the assumption that would-be quitters are at varying stages of readiness. For everyone, though, advance planning to mediate the psychological discomforts of withdrawal is vital. Since your addiction will try to trick you into breaking your resolve, you must invent counter-strategies. Among the recommendations: note situations likely to trigger the urge to smoke and come up with two alternative courses of action for each; decide how you'll distract yourself when cravings hit; and list all the people you want to tell that you're quitting smoking, checking their names off after you've broken the news.
References
- "Psychopharmacology"; Acute Exercise Modulates Cigarette Cravings and Brain Activation in Response to Smoking-related Images: An fMRI Study; Kate Janse Van Rensburg, et al.; Nov. 2008
- "BMC Health Services Research"; Integrating the Promotion of Physical Activity Within a Smoking Cessation Programme: Findings From Collaborative Action Research in UK Stop Smoking Services; Adrian H. Taylor, et al., 2010
- The British Psychological Society: Exercise Cuts Cigarette Cravings
- The British Psychological Society: Mental Health and Physical Activity: Translational Perspectives; A. H. Taylor; Dec 2008
- George Washington University: Exercise and Quitting
- "Addiction"; A Short Walk Helps Smokers Quit; March 14, 2007
