Can exercise help people quit smoking?

Researchers from the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England are looking for participants for a study investigating whether small amounts of exercise can help people give up smoking.

James Byron-Daniel explains, “For smokers trying to quit, willpower alone is often not enough to break down their addiction. There is evidence that exercise stimulates the same part of the brain as drinking and smoking mimicking the 'feel-good' effect. We know that short bursts of exercise can lead to temporary reductions in nicotine withdrawal symptoms, but we don't know what factors contribute to this effect, such as how hard does an individual have to exercise or for how long. This is what we will be exploring in this study, collecting data to expand current research in this area with the long term aim of introducing this treatment to Stop Smoking Clinics.

“As a starting point for this study, we are inviting male or female participants between the ages of 18-60 who are non-exercisers and who've had a smoking habit of 10 cigarettes or more per day for more than three years to come to the University. They will take part in a very brief, individually tailored 10 minute exercise session on an exercise bike during which we will also conduct questionnaires to monitor responses during and after exercise.”

The study is a joint collaboration with the University of Surrey and will run until the end of August 2010.

Provided by University of the West of England