Walking can cut craving for a cigarette

May 15 2005

New research by scientists at Exeter University has shown that going for a walk can help smokers break the habit.

The researchers examined the effects of a one mile walk on 15 smokers, who had not had a cigarette for 15 hours, and they found that while walking, and for at least 20 minutes after, cravings for a cigarette were lower than when the same person did nothing.

The desire to smoke to relieve negative withdrawal symptoms and to feel good were both reduced in the smokers.

Dr Adrian Taylor, from the University of Exeter's School of Sport and Health Sciences, says this is the first time it has been shown that something as simple as a brisk walk can have such a dramatic and lasting effect on the desire for a cigarette.

He says although the reason is unclear, other research with animals has also suggested that the need for addictive substances can be reduced by exercise.

Dr Taylor explains that exercise stimulates the brain to release the neurotransmitter dopamine which acts on pleasure pathways and is almost like a reward, and as cigarettes also trigger a sense of pleasure from feeling stimulated and relaxed, it is possible that exercise could substitute for the effects of smoking by providing the brain with a hit of the substance.

Dr Taylor says he will conduct further studies to determine just how long the effects of exercise may last, if reduced cravings mean a longer time to the next cigarette, and whether smokers will be less likely to light up in the face of triggers such as stress or a lit cigarette.

Around 8 million smokers in the UK want to give up smoking but only 20 to 30% will succeed.