Run away from your smoking addiction

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A new program is popping up around the country which will help you run away from your problems.

The Running Room is launching a Run To Quit program, which will be backed by federal funding and support from the Canadian Cancer Society. The program is designed to help smokers quit by incorporating running into their daily lives.

The 10-week program will see participants learn to run five kilometres while receiving support to quit smoking. In-person and online running running clinics will be offered. Both will include support from trained coaches, self-help materials and a quit smoking helpline.

Over the next five years the program will be rolled out to all 100 Running Room locations and it is expected 4,500 Canadians will participate in the training.

Studies have shown running helps 25 per cent of smokers quit successfully compared to only four per cent who go cold turkey. The pilot project ran in Ottawa and saw quitting rates of 29 per cent six months after completion of the program, as well as higher physical activity rates.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.