The study included 281 sedentary female smokers age 18 to 65 who were divided into two groups. The control group attended a 12-week smoking cessation program along with a wellness program three times a week. The study group attended the same 12-week smoking cessation program and a supervised vigorous exercise program three times a week. The sessions included 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic activity. All of the study group participants started the exercise program at a comfortable rate and then increased to an intensity equivalent to jogging.

"The program is designed by women, run by women and for women, which enables us to be sensitive to women issues," said Bess Marcus, PhD, lead author and assistant professor of psychology and human behavior at Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, R.I. "Women may have a harder time staying smoke-free, and a big fear is weight gain."

Ron Todd, MSEd, director of tobacco control for the American Cancer Society (ACS), said exercise is an important part of good health. "If it helps people quit smoking, that is just one more advantage to a good exercise program," he said. "People who are quitting should consider regular physical exercise as a part of the quitting process."

Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the ACS, said the study holds promise. "However, there is not enough evidence as of yet for us to tell women who are trying to quit smoking that exercise will definitely help them remain smoke-free." But, in general, people who exercise feel better both mentally and physically, and they regularly report fewer mood swings as well as a feeling of empowerment, according to Doyle.

"There has been so much research on the health benefits of exercise, clearly a person has nothing to lose by taking up exercise as a part of their effort to quit smoking," Dr. Marcus said. "For people who want to make exercise a part of their smoking cessation program, we recommend contacting a physician before beginning, and find a supervised exercise program. Now that we know vigorous exercise is effective, we are now studying moderate exercise to see if it has the same effect."