Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Exercise helps pregnant women quit smoking: study

"There's never a better time for a woman to quit smoking than when she's pregnant, doctors say, and all it may take is a little exercise. Researchers from St. George's University in London, UK, found that even just one day of exercise a week could help pregnant women quit smoking before giving birth. In a study of 32 pregnant women, 25 per cent kicked the habit. That figure is comparable to non-pregnant smokers who use nicotine replacement, such as patches and gums, to quit. 'These results are very encouraging and we are now conducting a randomized controlled trial with 850 women,' lead study author Michael Ussher said in a statement. 'Regular exercise is ideal for any pregnant women who smoke as it's obviously safe and the benefits are enormous.' The findings are published in the open access journal BMC Public Health" - CTV

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