Health
Exercise helps cut cigarette cravings, analysis finds
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 2, 2007
Smokers should take short, five-minute walks to help them resist the temptation to light up, according to a study in the April Addiction, the journal of the Society for the Study of Addiction.
Researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, reviewed 14 studies on the effects of exercise on smoking and found that 12 demonstrated a reduction in craving, withdrawal symptoms and smoking behavior.
The two other studies compared intensities of exercise and revealed no differences in outcomes. The researchers are now conducting brain imaging studies to try to determine how exercise affects the brain's mood centers that can, in turn, cut cravings for a cigarette. They also hope to incorporate exercise advice into Great Britain's smoking cessation clinics.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/04/02/hlbf0402.htm.
