A recent study shows that even the smallest amount of regular exercise can help smokers kick the habit.

“Our message is to quit and exercise — to do both is the best,” says Chi Pang Wen, a professor at the National Health Research Institute and China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan, who presented the data at the World Congress of Cardiology meeting in Dubai.

“Trying to quit is a painful process,” Wen told Shots by phone from Dubai. “That painful process creates a vacuum. This substitute, which is exercise, will distract the smokers from thinking every day about the need to smoke.”

Even for smokers who can’t quit, walking just 15 minutes a day six days a week is enough to improve their health.

New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner and most of us create a list of changes that would daunt even the most Herculean of wills.

First, if you’re thinking about committing to improving your health in 2012, you’ll have plenty of company. A little over half of the people we surveyed said they’ll resolve to exercise more. More than a third will resolve to lose weight. And 13 percent say they’ll commit to either quitting smoking or reducing how much they smoke

Be realistic with your goals and start with little steps.

A small change can lead to big results.

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