A new systematic review led by researchers at the University of Adelaide’s Exercise, Nutrition and Activity Research Alliance (ARENA) suggests that exercise can be a simple but effective addition to smokers’ efforts to quit. The review found that while structured exercise programs slightly improved smoking cessation success rates, even just one session of exercise could rapidly reduce nicotine cravings.
Smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, yet many people struggle to successfully quit. Although existing smoking cessation approaches such as counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and medication are effective, long-term cessation rates remain low and many smokers relapse. Researchers argue that exercise could help fill an important gap because it is low cost, widely available, and offers a range of additional benefits for physical and mental health. Their study was available online Sports Health Science Journal April 7, 2026.
This review is one of the most comprehensive on this topic to date. Researchers searched 11 databases through March 2025 and included 59 randomized controlled trials involving 9,083 participants. Of these, 43 trials investigated long-term exercise training programs, and 16 evaluated the immediate effects of a single exercise session. Importantly, this review included a broader range of exercise approaches than previous reviews, including aerobic exercise, strength training, yoga, high-intensity interval training, and lifestyle-based physical activity interventions.
The results showed that exercise training improved smoking cessation effectiveness. Across 23 trials involving 6,643 participants, people in the exercise group were 15% more likely to achieve sustained abstinence than the control group. Across 18 trials involving 4,455 participants, exercise also increased 7-day abstinence rates by 21%. Additionally, a review of eight trials found that people participating in exercise programs smoked about 2.12 fewer cigarettes per day than controls.
The most direct effect was seen on craving. In single-bout studies, nicotine cravings were moderately to significantly reduced immediately after exercise, and the effects were still evident 10, 20, and 30 minutes later. Higher-intensity exercise seemed to be particularly effective, reducing appetite the most. These short-term effects may be particularly helpful during moments of strong urges when the risk of relapse is highest.
This review also found that the type of exercise may be important. In long-term training studies, aerobic exercise showed significant benefits for sustained abstinence, whereas in single-shot studies, high-intensity exercise produced the strongest acute craving reduction. This suggests that both exercise mode and intensity may be important when designing smoking cessation programs.
However, the findings also highlight important limitations. In exercise training studies, exercise did not significantly reduce long-term craving, and the overall certainty of the evidence for abstinence outcomes was rated as low due to issues such as heterogeneity, risk of bias, imprecision, and possible publication bias. The certainty of the evidence was rated stronger and moderate for daily tobacco use and short-term craving reduction. The researchers say this means that exercise should not yet be seen as a sole alternative to established smoking cessation treatments, but rather as a promising adjunct strategy.
Another major gap was the complete lack of trials specific to e-cigarettes. Although e-cigarettes or the combination of cigarettes and e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly common, none of the included studies evaluated the smoking cessation outcomes of e-cigarettes. The authors say this is an urgent priority for future research, along with studies testing the optimal type, intensity and delivery format of exercise.
Overall, this study suggests that exercise may be a valuable addition to smoking cessation services. Exercise can be self-directed, community-based, digitally supported, or integrated into existing health programs, providing a practical option for people who require non-pharmacological support or additional strategies alongside counseling and medication. Although the effects on long-term smoking cessation are modest, the consistent reductions in tobacco use and acute cravings indicate that exercise may help more people try to quit, overcome periods of difficult cravings, and reduce tobacco-related harms.
sauce:
Sports Health Science Journal
Reference magazines:
Shin, B. Others. (2026) Exercise-based interventions for smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Sciences. DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2026.101138. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254626000190?via%3Dihub
