Add a short burst of exercise like walking or isometrics to your list of weapons to end your smoking habit, according to this latest meta-analysis of studies.
After reviewing the results of 12 studies and their connections between exercise and nicotine deprivation, researchers determined just five minutes of exercise helped a smoker overcome his or her immediate need for a cigarette.
A sign more professionals are coming around to the notion that treating exercise like a drug can do wonders for your health, straight from the lead author of the study: If we found the same effects in a drug, it would immediately be sold as an aid to help people quit smoking. And, one health expert likened the effectiveness of exercise to a nicotine patch.
Granted, a five-minute walk around the block may certainly be helpful in helping you quit smoking but it won't go far at all toward repaying your serious exercise debt, particularly if you're overweight.
If you've been wanting to make exercise a habit but don't know where to begin, I encourage you to start today with my beginner's exercise page.
Addiction, Vol. 102, No. 4, April 2007: 534-543USA Today March 13, 2007