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Exercise is the key to successful smoking cessation

Is quitting smoking one of the New Year's resolutions you've made? Then we have a tip:get moving! New research has confirmed that exercise may help smokers finally quit the habit. Experts in London have explored the mechanism by which the way exercise protects the body from nicotine dependence and withdrawal. The study reveals that even moderate-intensity exercise significantly reduces the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Researchers also showed that there is increased activation of a type of receptor in the brain called 7 nicotinic acetylcholine, which is a target of nicotine. The findings support the protective effect of exercise prior to smoking cessation against the development of physical dependence, which may aid smoking cessation by reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms.