Regular exercise may help smokers over the age of 40 lower their risk of depression and sleep problems to levels similar to non-smokers, according to a new study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health.
The study found that smokers tend to experience higher rates of both depressive symptoms and sleep disorders than people who do not smoke.
These problems were especially common in smokers aged 40 to 59 who were not physically active enough. People in this age group who failed to meet weekly exercise guidelines were more likely to report moderate to severe depression and ongoing sleep difficulties.
Among smokers aged 60 and older, sleep disorders were particularly common.
However, when older adults engaged in the recommended level of weekly physical activity, their risk of depression and poor sleep dropped to levels similar to those of non-smokers.
Current U.S. guidelines suggest that adults should aim for about 300 minutes of moderate exercise or 150 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, or a balanced mix of both. Activities might include brisk walking, cycling, running, or other forms of aerobic exercise that increase heart rate and improve fitness.
For this study, published in Health Education & Behavior, researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They examined information from 3,008 adults collected between 2017 and 2020 to see how smoking and physical activity affected sleep and mental health.
The findings revealed strong connections between smoking, depression, and sleep quality.
“Each of these has interconnected physiological and psychological pathways that potentially could affect the others,” explained Taehyun Roh, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Texas A&M and lead supervisor of the study.
For example, chemicals produced by smoking can worsen depressive symptoms, which in turn may disturb sleep.
Exercise, however, is known to boost mood, improve sleep quality, and support overall mental and physical health.
Interestingly, the study also showed that smokers aged 20 to 39 who exercised regularly were still more likely than non-smokers to have sleep problems.
According to researcher Jeong-Hui Park, this could be because exercise alone cannot fully undo the effects of heavy smoking, or because factors such as the type and timing of exercise may also play a role.
The results add to the evidence that exercise is essential for maintaining good health, particularly for people who smoke. Still, experts emphasize that quitting smoking remains critical, since smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death worldwide.
In the United States, nearly one in five adults smokes, while one in three experiences sleep disorders and one in twelve reports symptoms of depression.
The message is clear: regular physical activity can help ease some of the mental and sleep-related burdens of smoking, but the greatest health benefits will always come from combining exercise with reducing or quitting smoking altogether.
Source: Texas A&M University.
