Are you a lover of chocolate? I know that I am guilty! Then of course there is the problem that once you start, it’s kind of hard to stop! Well, a recent study at the University of Exeter shows that taking a walk when you have the urge to eat chocolate, tends to decrease the temptation to eat this sweet treat. You may be thinking to yourself, a walk? I have no time for that! If that is what you think, what if I told you that the walk only has to be a short one, say, fifteen minutes?

The study showed that workers eat only half as much chocolate as they normally would after a short burst of physical activity. This theory can even be applied to those who are in stressful situations. The story was published in the journal, Appetite.

In order to determine this finding, the University of Exeter conducted a study that included 78 regular chocolate eaters. They placed the subjects in a mock work environment after depriving them of chocolate for two days. A few of the groups were asked to take 15 minute walks on the treadmill and then had to do work at their desks. Some of the groups did low-stress tasks while others did a more intensive job. A different set of subjects did the same, but they did not exercise before they had to work; instead, they sat around and rested. Everyone was allowed to have a bowl of chocolate in front of them. Overall, the people who had exercised before hand ate half of the amount of chocolate than those who had rested before going to work.

The study shows that exercise will help you resist the urge to snack; however, we know that this study is not all inclusive and may just be a coincidence. More studies should probably be done, but for now, it does seem logical that exercise can result in a more productive working environment. Perhaps it wasn’t temptation for chocolate that was reduced, but rather, the will to work and be productive was increased.