Doing some sort of physical exercise as a way to help quit smoking isn’t a new idea, but there is an exciting new study on it. Researchers from the University of Exeter (UK) reviewed studies on the subject, and conlcused that when people are experiencing nicotine withdrawal, doing as little as 5 minutes of some exercise (even walking) can help reduce the intensity of the symptoms.

Taylor and colleagues reviewed 12 papers looking at the connection between exercise and nicotine deprivation. They focused on exercises that could be done outside a gym, such as walking and isometrics, or the flexing and tensing of muscles. According to their analysis, just five minutes of exercise was often enough to help smokers overcome their immediate need for a nicotine fix.

For people looking for simple and practical tools to try out in their quitting process, this seems to be one of the best. The key to things like this is to find out how you can make it work for your unique situation.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 15 Mar 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.