Aim
To examine whether exercise counselling increases smoking abstinence
and reduces tobacco withdrawal and gains in weight and body fat.
Design
A randomized controlled trial.
Setting
A community-based stop smoking clinic.
Participants
Two hundred and ninety-nine male and female smokers.
Intervention
Participants were assigned randomly to a 7-week smoking cessation
programme, including nicotine replacement therapy plus either (i) exercise
counselling, or (ii) health education advice with equal contact time as for the
exercise counselling condition.
Measurements
Six weeks of smoking abstinence was confirmed by expired
carbon monoxide.
Findings
There was no significant difference in smoking abstinence between
the exercise group (
n
=
154) and the controls (
n
=
145) at 6 weeks (39.6% versus
38.6%), nor was there any difference in gains in weight or body fat,
although those in the exercise group increased their exercise levels. Exercise
participants reported less tension, anxiety and stress than the controls during
the first week of smoking abstinence (
P
=
0.03, 0.01 and 0.04, respectively), less
irritability throughout 2 weeks of abstinence (
P
=
0.03), and less restlessness
throughout 3 weeks of abstinence (
P
=
0.04).
Conclusions
Adding brief exercise counselling to a smoking cessation programme
did not increase smoking abstinence or reduce gains in weight or body
fat significantly, although exercise levels were raised and there were some beneficial
effects on psychological symptoms.