Summary: A small study finds that a little exercise can help expectant moms who smoke nix the nicotine habit.
By Sharon Mazel | Posted: November 25, 2013
There's no shortage of reasons why moms-to-be shouldn't smoke. Smoking increases the chance of miscarriage, premature birth, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy complications, and babies of smokers are more likely to be born small, are at a higher risk of SIDS, and are more likely to have behavioral or neurocognitive problems.
But knowing why you should quit and wanting to quit smoking when you're expecting is one thing. Actually kicking butt and nixing the nicotine habit when you've got a bun in the oven is another.
Luckily, a new study, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, points to one thing expectant moms can do to that might help minimize those cravings for a cigarette: exercise.
Researchers at Western University in Canada found that 15 to 20 minutes of brisk walking at a mild to moderate pace is enough to ward off tobacco cravings.
The scientists looked at 30 expectant moms in their second trimester, all of whom smoked more than five cigarettes a day and were not regular exercisers. The average age of the study participants was 25 years old. Half of the moms-to-be were assigned to walk on a treadmill. The other half were told to watch a home gardening video for 20 minutes (aka, stay sedentary).
The results? The expectant walkers reported an average 30 percent reduction in their desire to take a puff. They also reported less irritability, restlessness, tension, and other withdrawal symptoms compared to the non-walkers.
There are a few caveats to these findings. First, the study looked at only a small number of moms-to-be. These findings would need to be replicated in a larger, randomized controlled study before doctors can say for sure that exercise can help you beat the smoking habit. Second, the impact exercise had on the tobacco cravings was short lived... lasting only 30 minutes to an hour before the cravings returned. Finally, because the study only looked at 30 women, it could be that the reduction of a desire to smoke happened just by chance.
Still, despite these caveats, there are plenty of good reasons to exercise when you're expecting — even if these study results don't end up being validated in larger studies. Exercise can help keep you toned and in shape for the big D-day, fight fatigue, and slow down those rollercoaster emotions by releasing feel good endorphins. Plus, it's good for your baby-to-be. In fact, ACOG recommends that expectant moms get 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise per day. So even if the exercise doesn't help you quit smoking, it will help keep your pregnancy healthier. And check out the tips below for ways to nix the nicotine habit.
Photo credit: Flickr
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