Exercise can be a powerful tool when you’re trying to quit smoking, says Sarah Linke, Ph.D., an associate professor at UC San Diego who studies smoking cessation. “Nicotine in cigarettes triggers the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, and when you suddenly stop smoking, the brain experiences withdrawal,” she explains. “But exercise also releases these chemicals, making it an appealing and much healthier alternative to smoking.”
Developing a routine can help as well. “Healthy behaviors like exercise tend to make people feel empowered, which helps further the cycle of choosing healthy behaviors,” says Linke. The payoff: A study in Nicotine & Tobacco Research found that when smokers received counseling, nicotine patches and 12 weeks of resistance training, they were twice as likely to report not having smoked than those who…
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First for Women (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 17, 2020