If teenagers discover that physical exercise helped them to reduce their cigarette cravings, they are on the right track, reveal researchers.
![Teenage Smokers Struggle With Body-Related Shame, Guilt: Concordia University Teenage Smokers Struggle With Body-Related Shame, Guilt: Concordia University](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/child-smokers.jpg)
The compulsion to exercise by smoking test subjects tended to be tied to a desire to bulk up, especially in males. The findings reflected a trend among young men to possess a more muscular physique. O'Loughlin said that smoking might actually hinder muscle gain, and added that evidence showed that smoking leads to more visceral fat in the stomach area.
O'Loughlin said both active smokers and active non-smokers did about the same amount of physical activity, and added that teenagers shouldn't be discouraged from exercising just because they happen to smoke. He further said that if teenagers discover that physical exercise helped them to reduce their cigarette cravings, they were on the right track.
The study is published in the Journal Preventive Medicine.
Source-ANI