Researchers study whether physical activity can help people quit smoking

Rochester, New York – Researchers at University of Rochester Medicine and Wilmot Cancer Institute are expanding their efforts to help people quit smoking by adding a second goal to an approach that has already shown promising results. A new $2.2 million grant will support a national study testing whether encouraging physical activity alongside smoking cessation can help people stop using tobacco while also becoming more active.

The study builds on earlier work that used culturally relevant text messages to support people trying to quit smoking. This time, participants are also encouraged to take part in physical activity, with activities such as running or swimming among the options. The goal is to gradually reach 150 minutes of activity each week.

The research team believes the two efforts may work well together. Quitting smoking can be difficult, particularly when people are dealing with nicotine cravings and withdrawal. Adding regular physical activity could provide another tool for managing those challenges while helping participants develop healthier routines.

“We believe that engaging in physical activity increases the chance of quitting,” said principal investigator Francisco Cartujano, MD, who has studied smoking cessation for nearly a decade.

“Moderate to vigorous physical activity is associated with outcomes including acute relief from nicotine withdrawal, management of relapse/lapse, and greater self-efficacy to quit smoking,” he said.

The new research follows an earlier pilot study involving members of the Latino community. Participants responded positively to the idea of combining exercise with efforts to stop smoking. At the three-month point, 70 percent of participants had quit smoking while also increasing their physical activity.

That early result encouraged investigators to take the idea further.

The new clinical study is national in scope, although more than 100 people enrolled so far have come from Rochester and communities in the surrounding region. Participants are not required to follow one specific type of exercise. Instead, they choose activities that fit their interests and circumstances.

Participants also agree to wear devices that monitor their physical activity. The devices allow researchers to collect information about how much activity participants are getting and track changes over the course of the study.

“We are comfortable with any activity they choose,’ said Cartujano, an assistant professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences and assistant director of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) at Wilmot. “The important thing is to do something that you enjoy and be consistent. We also offer counseling to help them gradually increase their activity until they meet the recommended guidelines.”

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The intervention is called Activatexto. It is based on Decidetexto, a text-message smoking cessation program developed by the same research group specifically for the Latino community.

Both programs were developed with help from a Community Advisory Board at Wilmot’s outreach office. That partnership is intended to make the programs more culturally relevant and responsive to the people they are designed to serve.

The decision to add physical activity came after researchers examined the results of the earlier Decidetexto trial. A randomized controlled trial published in the journal Chest in 2025 found that Latino adults who smoked and received text-message support through Decidetexto were significantly more likely to quit after six months than those who received standard printed smoking cessation materials without additional support.

The difference was substantial. About 34 percent of people who received the text-message intervention had quit smoking at six months, compared with 20.6 percent of those who received the standard materials.

But the study also revealed another issue.

Researchers found that 75 percent of participants did not meet physical activity goals of 150 hours a week recommended by health professionals to maintain a healthy weight and prevent illness. The finding led investigators to consider whether smoking cessation efforts could also become an opportunity to help participants become more physically active.

The current study is designed to explore that possibility.

Rather than treating smoking cessation and physical activity as completely separate health goals, Activatexto combines them into one intervention. Participants receive text messages and counseling while working toward activity goals they select themselves.

For the research team, the approach also addresses a broader health concern in the Rochester area and beyond.

Wilmot Cancer Institute serves a 27-county region that includes the City of Rochester and more than three million people across western and central New York. Smoking rates in the area are higher than both state and national averages, and the rates are significantly higher among Latino residents.

The region also faces high rates of cancer. Smoking is associated with more than a dozen types of cancer, making tobacco use an important target for cancer prevention efforts.

Tobacco contains harmful substances that can damage or alter the DNA inside cells and weaken the body’s immune system. Over time, that damage can contribute to the development of cancer.
For researchers, helping people quit smoking remains a major part of reducing that risk. The new study adds another possible benefit by encouraging participants to become more active at the same time.

The physical activity component is intentionally flexible. Someone might choose walking, swimming, running or another activity rather than being assigned a particular exercise program. Researchers say the important factors are finding an activity the participant enjoys and maintaining consistency.

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Counseling is also available to help participants gradually increase their activity instead of trying to reach the recommended level immediately.

The study is being funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and is scheduled to continue through May 2029. Researchers will use the study period to examine whether combining physical activity with text-based smoking cessation support can improve quitting outcomes and activity levels.

People interested in taking part in the Activatexto study can contact the research team through the study’s online contact form or by calling or texting 585-504-9461.

The researchers hope the project will show whether a relatively simple change to an established smoking cessation program can provide a broader health benefit. If increasing physical activity helps people cope with withdrawal, avoid relapse and feel more confident about quitting, the combination could offer another useful approach for people who want to stop smoking.

For now, the study will continue to follow participants as they work toward two connected goals: becoming smoke-free and becoming more physically active.