High-Intensity Exercise Cuts Cigarette Cravings Most Effectively, Review Finds

Researchers found that a single bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise most effectively reduces cigarette cravings among smokers.

A review of 59 randomized controlled trials involving more than 9,000 adults showed this type of workout curbs the urge to light up immediately and up to 30 minutes afterward, but not for longer-term cravings. The authors, writing in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, reported: "Single-bout exercise reduced acute cravings immediately and up to 30 minutes post-exercise, but not longer-term cravings."

The team examined exercise-based interventions for smoking cessation and identified other benefits. Exercise training made participants 15% to 21% more likely to abstain from smoking compared to those who did not exercise.

Smokers who worked out regularly cut back by an average of two cigarettes per day.

Exercise offers a free and accessible way to fight cravings. It also lowers anxiety and stress, common triggers for smoking. The authors explained that workouts increase feel-good hormones like dopamine while reducing the stress hormone cortisol. This makes smokers less likely to seek nicotine for a brain reward.

The researchers recommended adding exercise to other smoking cessation programs to improve quit rates. None of the trials studied vaping, and they called for future research on electronic cigarettes.