A scientific study conducted in Australia revealed that physical exercise helps quit smoking. The study, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, showed that smokers who participate in exercise programs increase their ability to quit smoking or at least reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. The research team from the University of Adelaide in Australia found that a single exercise session reduces the urge for nicotine immediately for half an hour after the workout. The head of the study team, Ben Singh, said: 'Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health, but it is also one of the hardest things,' adding in statements to the medical research website 'HealthDay' that 'many smokers want to quit, but current cessation programs may not suit everyone, so we need more strategies that can be applied in daily life at no extra cost.' The researchers reviewed the results of 59 clinical trials on the benefits of physical exercise for those trying to quit smoking. These trials included more than 9,000 people. The results showed that people who participate in exercise programs increase their ability to quit smoking for seven days by 21%, and their chance of quitting permanently increases by 15%. The trials also revealed that exercise reduces the number of cigarettes a person smokes by two cigarettes per day, and that it is also possible to exercise to overcome sudden nicotine cravings. HealthDay quoted researcher Carol Maher, a specialist in population and digital health sciences at the University of Adelaide, as saying: 'These results revealed that physical exercise can be used as part of strategies to overcome the urgent urge to smoke.'