Exercise can aid smoking cessation

When a person inhales cigarette smoke, the nicotine in the smoke is rapidly absorbed into the blood and starts affecting the brain within 10 seconds. Once there, nicotine triggers a number of chemical reactions (release of dopamine) that create temporary feelings of pleasure and concentration. But these sensations are short-lived, subsiding within minutes. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and it is the release of dopamine that contributes to the cycle of addiction, as the dopamine receptors in the brain crave more nicotine over time.

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry looked at the effects of exercise with nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation in adults. Male and female smokers between the ages of 18 and 70 years without severe diseases were asked to use exercise protocols of any intensity for smoking cessation. The study showed that in the

short-term exercise with nicotine replacement therapy aided smoking cessation.