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There is a higher possibility for teens to succeed in quitting smoking habit if they participated in smoking fitness/ cessation program as well as engaging in regular exercises for about 30 minutes in a day. These findings were reported from a study undertaken by researchers at George Washington University and published in ‘Journal of Adolescent Health.’ A leading author, Kimberly Horn, said that this study provided additional evidence to the suggestion that exercise could offer essential help to teenagers in efforts of trying to stop smoking habit. Teenagers who increased the days in which they had exercises including taking short walks had higher chances of quitting smoking that teens that tried to resist smoking by not lighting up the cigarette. The study was done in West Virginia which involved 233 teens from nineteen high schools. West Virginia is known as one of the states with high rates of smoking among adolescents in the entire nation. In fact, it is estimated that about 13% of the total number of smokers in the state aged 18 years and below. All the volunteers reported to be daily smokers and were also engaged in other reasonably risky behaviors. According to Horn, it was usual that teenage smokers engage in unhealthy, risky habits as well. For instance, she explained that physical inactivity and smoking are highly related. According to the study, the smokers took an average of half a packet of cigarettes during weekdays and during weekends, a full pack. A past study on these volunteers had analyzed three different programs which aimed at assisting them stop smoking in cut down on their smoking. It was concluded that engaging the smokers in intensive smoking cessations and adoption of a good fitness program was very effective in helping combat the smoking program.

Increased physical activity can help teens stop smoking

This new study aimed at finding out whether increased physical activity provided any help to the teens to quit smoking regardless of the kind of intervention program involved. According to the research findings, it was noted that teens who increased their exercising ages recorded a considerable reduction on number of cigarettes smoked. However, the researchers also pointed out that it was important that another research is done to determine on the possibility of the 20 minutes daily exercise to alter the smoking behavior.

The Study limitations

Nevertheless, Kimberly was quick to point several limitations on the study. For instance, the medical relevance of increasing daily physical activities to 20 minutes or more was not known. However, it is also known that even a small improvement in exercise can have more health benefits. There was also the limitation of resistance of the adolescent to change their behavior which led to the results being marred in some way. As such, there is need for further research to be undertaken in order to confirm the findings applicable to all teen smokers rather than just West Virginia residents. Leading Author of the study:  https://mha.gwu.edu/faculty/kimberly-horn/