Exercise Can Help Moms-to-be Stop Smoking
Reported September 29, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Heres a healthy way for pregnant women to stop smoking — start moving.
Two new studies from the University of London find exercise can help pregnant women kick the habit. In both trials, researchers looked at women 12 to 20 weeks into their pregnancy who were over age 18 and smoked at least one cigarette a day.
In one study, participants exercised once a week for six weeks; in the other, they exercised twice a week for six weeks, then once a week for three weeks. The women were also encouraged to exercise more on their own and they all got advice and counseling towards stopping smoking and becoming more active.
Results show one-fourth of the 32 women in the studies gave up smoking before giving birth. This is similar to the number of non-pregnant smokers who quit smoking after using nicotine replacement. The research also finds participants had other positive benefits including weight loss, improved self-image and reduced cravings.
These results are very encouraging and we are now conducting a randomized controlled trial with 850 women, Michael Ussher, researcher at the University of London, was quoted as saying. Regular exercise is ideal for any pregnant women who smoke as its obviously safe and the benefits are enormous.
Even though there are plenty of warnings out there, 20-percent of women in the United States and 17-percent of women in the United Kingdom say they smoke while they are pregnant. This often results in lower birth weight and higher infant mortality. It can also lead to learning difficulties, behavior problems, and asthma during childhood.
SOURCE: BMC Public Health, 2008;8:328
