Exercise may temporarily ease cigarette cravings: Study

(REUTERS) - Smokers who are trying to cut down or quit might want to take a jog the next time a cigarette craving overcomes them, according to a British study.

Researchers, whose findings appeared in the journal Addiction, combined the data from 19 previous clinical trials and found that a bout of exercise generally helped hopeful quitters reduce their nicotine cravings - though whether that translated into a greater chance of quitting was unclear.

"Certainly, exercise seems to have temporary benefits, and as such can be strongly recommended," said Britain's University of Exeter exercise and health psychology Professor Adrian Taylor, who led the study.

In the trials used for the study, smokers were randomly assigned to either exercise - most often, brisk walking or biking - or some kind of "passive" activity, such as watching a video or just sitting quietly.