J Sport Health Sci
Even a single workout may help people quit smoking
Clinical Takeaway: Exercise may help fill a growing gap in smoking-cessation care for patients who avoid medications, relapse repeatedly, or lack access to counseling. Brief aerobic activity could serve as a flexible adjunct alongside standard cessation support.
Smoking cessation remains difficult despite counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and prescription medications. Many smokers relapse, discontinue treatment because of side effects, or attempt to quit without formal support. This review examined whether exercise could provide a scalable behavioral strategy that yields benefits alongside existing cessation approaches.
Researchers reviewed 59 randomized controlled trials involving 9,083 participants. The analysis included long-term exercise training programs as well as studies testing the immediate effects of a single exercise session. Interventions ranged from aerobic exercise and resistance training to yoga, high-intensity interval training, and lifestyle-based physical activity programs.
Exercise training modestly improved quit outcomes. Across 23 trials involving more than 6,600 participants, exercise increased continuous smoking abstinence by 15% compared with control groups. Seven-day point prevalence abstinence improved by 21% across 18 trials, and participants in exercise programs smoked about 2 fewer cigarettes per day than controls.
The most consistent benefit involved craving control during vulnerable moments. Single exercise sessions produced moderate-to-large reductions in nicotine cravings immediately after activity, with effects lasting up to 30 minutes. Higher-intensity exercise produced the largest craving reductions. Even brief activity sessions lasting 5 to 30 minutes appeared effective.
Aerobic exercise showed the clearest association with long-term abstinence benefits. Investigators suggested this may make brisk walking, cycling, or treadmill exercise practical options for smoking-cessation programs because they are relatively accessible, inexpensive, and easy to integrate into daily routines.
“This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that exercise interventions can modestly improve smoking abstinence rates, reduce daily cigarette consumption, and acutely suppress cravings,” the authors concluded.
Source: Singh B. J Sport Health Sci. 2026 Apr 7. Exercise-based interventions for smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis