For those looking to kick the smoking habit in the new year, there’s encouraging news from a recent study.
Scientists in Innsbruck have discovered that just ten minutes of brisk walking, both indoors and outdoors, can significantly reduce cravings in smokers trying to quit.
This study, unique in comparing indoor and outdoor physical activity for smoking cessation, offers a simple yet effective tool for those determined to quit smoking.
The harmful effects of smoking are well-documented, being a major preventable cause of illness and death globally.
Despite a gradual decline in global tobacco use, the World Health Organization reported that around 20% of people over 15 were still smoking as of 2020.
The study, conducted at the University of Innsbruck’s Department of Sport Science, revealed that short bursts of exercise can lessen the desire to smoke and ease withdrawal symptoms.
This research, published in November in the journal Psychopharmacology, also indicates that these exercise sessions can enhance emotional well-being.
The lead author, Stefanie Schöttl, a doctoral student, emphasized the novelty of including outdoor activities in their study. Previously, research mainly focused on indoor exercises for smokers.
In this study, 16 participants, all smokers who had abstained overnight, engaged in three interventions: a ten-minute brisk walk outside, a similar exercise session on an indoor treadmill, or a ten-minute rest.
The researchers carefully randomized the participants to each condition to avoid individual biases.
Participants’ cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and mood were measured using validated methods before, during, and after these interventions. The time until their next cigarette was also recorded.
The results were significant. Both the indoor and outdoor exercise groups reported reduced cravings throughout the exercise session, unlike the control group who remained seated.
Withdrawal symptoms and overall well-being also improved in the exercise groups, with outdoor activity showing a slight edge over indoor exercise in reducing cravings.
Interestingly, there was a notable, though not statistically significant, difference in the time before lighting the next cigarette: 17 minutes for the indoor group and 26 minutes for the outdoor group.
Professor Martin Kopp, who co-authored the study, suggests that this trend merits further investigation, possibly by varying the duration or intensity of the exercise sessions.
For the research team, the key is to make these exercise interventions easy to incorporate into daily routines and smoking cessation programs.
This study opens up a promising, accessible avenue for those seeking to quit smoking, highlighting the benefits of simple physical activities like walking in managing cravings and improving well-being during the quitting process.
If you care about smoking, please read studies about smoking may increase heart disease risk by 200% and e-cigarette smoke may cause lung cancer and bladder disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about the cause of weight gain after smoking cessation, and results showing smoking may cause white scars on the brain.
The research findings can be found in Psychopharmacology.
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