Effects of exercise on selected correlates of smoking withdrawal

Female smokers (N = 13) provided baseline data on cigarette cravings, mood states, sleep patterns, resting heart rate, and body weight and then either stopped or substantially reduced their consumption of cigarettes. Half of the participants took part in 15 minutes of daily exercise at 75% of estimated maximum heart rate during the first week of withdrawal, while the other half served as a control group. Results indicated that the exercise intervention had both positive and negative effects on the variables of interest. Cigarette cravings were lower for the exercise group than the control group during initial vithdrawal, and there was some evidence that POMS Confusion scores were lower for the exercise group. Sleep disturbances and resting heart rates, on the other hand, were higher for the exercise group than for the control group. These findings are discussed in relation to the use of exercise in smoking cessation programs.