Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide,1 yet most smokers struggle to quit, often failing multiple times despite a deep desire to stop. The addictive nature of nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes hijacks your brain’s reward system. It lowers activity in the part of your brain responsible for impulse control and decision-making.
At the same time, it overstimulates the area linked to cravings and emotional reactions. This combination fuels compulsive behavior and makes it incredibly difficult to quit. The longer you smoke, the stronger this cycle becomes.
Quitting isn’t just about willpower. Even when people try nicotine patches, prescription medications or counseling, relapse rates remain high. Many smokers light up again within weeks. But what if you could change the way your brain responds to cigarettes altogether? That’s exactly what researchers in a 2025 study published in Scientific Reports decided to find out.2
Brain Stimulation and Exercise Make It Easier to Quit Smoking
The study explored whether combining brain stimulation, using a transcranial direct current stimulation device, and exercise can help smokers quit. The researchers tested 41 adult smokers using gentle electrical brain stimulation, aerobic exercise, both methods, or a placebo version. Each person did five daily sessions while researchers tracked cravings, smoking habits and brain activity.
• People who got both treatments had the biggest improvements — Those who did both brain stimulation and exercise had cravings drop by 50.4% — much more than the approximately 9% seen in the groups that used just one method. They also smoked less, showed lower carbon monoxide levels (a sign of reduced smoking) and felt more motivated to quit.
• The benefits happened quickly — Just five sessions produced major changes in smoking behavior and brain activity. This fast, simple approach is especially helpful for people who’ve failed with longer programs.
• Their brains showed less craving activity — Brain scans revealed that the combined group had lower brain activity tied to cravings when exposed to cigarette triggers. This drop means their brains were less reactive to smoking cues.
Exercise and Brain Stimulation Help Retrain Your Brain
Smoking affects brain areas that control habits and impulses. Gentle brain stimulation activates the prefrontal cortex, helping you think clearly and resist urges. Exercise boosts blood flow and primes your brain to respond better to stimulation.
• Together, they help your brain make new connections — This process — called neuroplasticity — is how your brain changes habits. Both brain stimulation and exercise impact brain chemicals that play a role in addiction and motivation.
• Using brain stimulation alone didn’t help — and might even backfire — Those who used brain stimulation without exercise had higher brain reactivity during smoking cues, showing that stimulation alone isn’t enough and could stir up more craving activity.
• Exercise helped clear smoke and calm cravings — Even on its own, exercise helped lower carbon monoxide levels, suggesting the body was detoxing. But when paired with brain stimulation, it also helped the brain stop chasing the next cigarette.
Coaching Calls Help Young Adults Quit Vaping — Even Without Extra Tools
In related research, a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine investigated how to help young adults quit vaping.3 The researchers tested different ways to support people ages 18 to 24 who regularly used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and wanted to stop.
• Each person got two coaching calls, with extra tools added for some — After the first call, participants were randomly placed into one of four groups:
1. Coaching calls only
2. Coaching calls plus a mobile app
3. Coaching calls plus nicotine patches or gum sent by mail
4. Coaching calls plus both the app and nicotine patches
• Nearly half of the participants quit vaping within three months — Coaching alone worked almost as well as the added tools. Specifically, quitting rates were:
◦ 41% for coaching only
◦ 43% for coaching plus app
◦ 48% for coaching plus nicotine patches
◦ 48% for coaching plus both tools
People who got the app or nicotine replacement didn’t quit at much higher rates than those who only got the coaching calls. That means the coaching itself had the biggest impact.
• Even small efforts make a big impact — Just two phone calls helped many young adults stop vaping. That makes this approach simple, affordable and easy to scale. The results suggest that “quitlines” — helplines for quitting — are a smart way to reach people and help them stop vaping.
• Public health programs should take note — Straightforward support like coaching calls could be a powerful tool in reducing vaping among young adults — and should be part of future strategies.
Combining Movement and Brain Training to Break the Habit
If you’ve struggled to quit smoking — or even tried multiple times without lasting success — you’re not alone. Nicotine hijacks your brain, rewires how you respond to stress and makes the habit incredibly hard to break. But there’s hope in new, nondrug approaches that work directly on your brain’s craving circuits. Based on the recent findings, pairing aerobic exercise with brain stimulation shows real promise.
Even more encouraging, brief interventions such as coaching calls are another useful intervention, proving that you don’t need a long or expensive program to take control. Keep in mind that engaging in a healthy lifestyle, including a whole-food diet, daily activity, proper sleep and stress relief, will support your overall health and ability to quit smoking successfully. Here’s how to start making real change, one step at a time.
1. Retrain your brain with movement and stimulation — The combination of aerobic exercise and brain stimulation worked better than either therapy alone. Look into safe, home-based transcranial direct current stimulation devices — some are now available to consumers. But don’t skip the movement.
A 30-minute session of moderate aerobic exercise — like brisk walking, biking or dancing — just before brain stimulation enhances the benefits by increasing blood flow and priming your brain for change.
Another excellent supportive tool, especially for dealing with cravings that come with quitting smoking, is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). This helps you reprogram your body's reactions to cravings, helping you quit smoking successfully.
2. Use short workouts to reduce cravings and detox faster — Even if you’re not using brain stimulation, regular physical activity still helps. In the study, people who exercised had lower carbon monoxide levels — a direct sign that their bodies were clearing out smoke. Exercise also lowered reactivity to smoking cues in the brain.
So, if you’re someone who smokes more under stress or out of boredom, a quick workout gives your brain a break from that craving loop. Try exercising at times when you’d normally light up — your brain will start forming new patterns.
3. Schedule short daily sessions and keep them consistent — The most effective changes in the study came from five days of consistent, short interventions. Each session lasted less than an hour. That tells you something important: big change doesn’t require huge time investments.
Start by blocking off just one hour per day for five days in a row. Use that time for a walk or a bike ride and, if available to you, pair it with a brain stimulation session. Short, daily commitment builds momentum. Your brain responds best to consistent routines when forming new habits.
4. Boost your quitting success with coaching — even brief calls help — Just two coaching calls helped nearly half of young adults quit vaping. Even those who didn’t receive nicotine patches or digital apps saw strong results. If you’re quitting smoking, don’t underestimate the power of talking to someone who keeps you accountable.
Look for a local or national quitline (many are free) or ask someone you trust to check in with you during your first few weeks. Sometimes just knowing someone is going to follow up with you is enough to keep you from reaching for a cigarette.
5. Track your progress and celebrate small achievements — Use a simple notebook or app to log how many cigarettes you smoke, how strong your cravings are and how you’re feeling. Celebrate every day you smoke less or go without. The act of tracking your behavior boosts awareness, and awareness builds control. It also helps you notice patterns — like which times of day are toughest — so you can prepare ahead and make smarter choices.
Taking charge of your smoking habit doesn’t require a prescription or a months-long program. It starts with understanding your brain, moving your body and creating a plan that works for your life. If you’re ready to quit, there’s never been a better time — or better tools — to support you.
FAQs About Quitting Smoking
Q: What makes it so hard to quit smoking, even if I want to?
A: Nicotine changes the way your brain works. It weakens your ability to resist cravings and overstimulates a brain region tied to emotions and urges. This combination reinforces compulsive smoking behavior, making it very difficult to quit through willpower alone.
Q: How does combining brain stimulation with exercise help people quit smoking?
A: When brain stimulation is paired with aerobic exercise, it significantly reduces cravings — by more than 50% in just five sessions. Brain stimulation boosts brain regions involved in self-control, while exercise increases blood flow and brain responsiveness, helping rewire the circuits that drive nicotine addiction.
Q: What kind of results did people see from this brain-exercise combo?
A: Participants who used both tDCS and exercise reduced their smoking, lowered their carbon monoxide levels by over 60%, and felt more motivated to quit. They also showed reduced brain activity in areas linked to cravings, meaning their brains became less reactive to cigarette cues like the smell or sight of smoke.
Q: Do I need expensive equipment or long-term treatment to quit?
A: No. The study showed that major benefits came from just five short sessions. Another study found that even two simple coaching calls helped nearly half of young adults stop vaping — no medication, apps or long programs required.
Q: What are some first steps I can take if I want to quit smoking?
A: Start with consistent exercise to reduce cravings and help your body detox. Consider using a quitline or support call to stay accountable and track your progress daily. Small steps, taken consistently, lead to lasting change.