Ms Kastelein has chosen the correlation between trying to give up smoking and increasing exercise as the subject of her PhD studies.

She says finding participants for her trial is a challenge after advertising locally.

“It is difficult to get people to come forward and volunteer for the study, but once I explain to them the details of how it will all go and what they have to do they feel more comfortable and have a greater understanding ,” she said.

With a background of a degree in exercise science/rehabilitation, Ms Kastelein is able to use the experience she has already acquired with assistance from professor Frank Marino, of CSU in Bathurst, and Dr Rob Duffield, from the University of Technology in Sydney.

Her study will be carried out over 14 weeks encompassing smoking reduction combined with exercise training.

Ms Kastelein says the latest Australian smoking statistics show we have come a long way in 50 years when smoking was part of everyday life.

“It is very hard for some people to give up smoking and many have tried a variety of methods,” she said.

“This is why I have designed my study in such as way to look at ways in which exercise can be of benefit because people feel less inclined to want to have a cigarette after exercise.”

Ms Kastelein said the cost of downloading a quit smoking program could be prohibitive for some people at $300, despite their desire to give smoking up.

She hopes her smoking and exercise program will provide another avenue for people to find a way to quit.

Ms Kastelein’s study at CSU in Bathurst is in two parts and is free for people aged between 25 and 50.

The first is a four-session program involving smoking and exercise and the second is a 13-week exercise training and/or smoking reduction study.

For more details contact Ms Kastelein on 6338 6101 or email  tkastelein@csu.edu.au.