Are You Trying To Quit Cigarettes? Exercise!

So, you've decided to quit smoking? Congratulations! If you stick with this choice, you will make the best possible decision for your health. The damage you've done to your body will be reduced very quickly, with measurable quality of life improvements following very soon after your nasty withdrawal symptoms end.

Quitting smoking can be a very long process, but half the battle is already won if you have made up your mind to kick the butt. You must remember that staying quit is the most important part of your decision. Every morning you wake up, you must actively resolve not to smoke. Each day you spend without smoking is a small victory in itself.

Smokers get addicted to nicotine and that is the biggest challenge. Nicotine addiction causes acute cigarette cravings which are just too difficult to resist for many smokers. The longer a person smokes, and the more cigarettes the person smokes per day, the more difficult it becomes to get over the addiction. Cigarette cravings get weaker with each passing day and typically go away in about 20 minutes. If you are able to get though the initial minutes of your cravings, it will be easier to resist the craving for good.

Resisting cigarette cravings

It is best to formulate a plan to resist your cigarette cravings. Most people advocate following the so-called 4 Ds to overcome their cigarette cravings. These include taking a deep breath, drinking water, delay, and doing something active and physical.

Taking Deep Breaths

Whenever you have the irresistible urge to smoke, take ten deep breaths. If possible, go outside and fill your lungs with fresh air. You will feel good and will be able to overcome a part of the anxiety associated with nicotine withdrawal. Your acute craving will pass, and you're still smoke free. Congrats.

Drinking water

Drinking a glass of water will make you feel good. It will also help pacify your cravings and give you a calming feeling. Abstain from drinking coffee or alcohol that you might have associated with smoking in the past. These are powerful triggers that will make you want to light another cigarette.

Delay and do something

You can delay your urge for smoking by doing something. You can get some exercise, call a friend, go for a movie, or chew a stick of gum. Exercising has been found to be very useful in fighting the urge to smoke. A person who is trying to quit smoking gains about eight pounds of weight on average, as smoking leads to an altered metabolism. Exercising not only helps quitters to lose these extra pounds but it also stimulates the brain chemicals that are helpful in fighting nicotine cravings.

Exercise and Cigarette Cravings

Adrian Taylor and a group of fellow researchers from the University of Exeter in Britain combined the data of 19 clinical trials to conclude that a bout of exercises can actually be helpful for people who are trying to reduce their nicotine cravings. During their study, smokers were randomly asked to engage in mild to moderate exercise either by brisk walking or biking. The researchers found that after working out, the smokers had a lower desire to smoke than they had before.

Exercise and smoking do not go hand in hand. The two are like oil and water. There is no doubt about the fact that tobacco has a negative effect on your overall health and fitness. Quitting tobacco improves your overall fitness very quickly after you kick the habit, and exercise performance will rise very fast. In fact, if you exercise regularly, the chances of your quitting tobacco and staying quit increase manifold.

Exercise diminishes the nicotine withdrawal symptoms you will suffer from. It has been found that just about 10 minutes of moderate exercising can help curb your craving to smoke. Cravings are typically caused by common withdrawal symptoms such as boredom, anxiety, and stress. Exercising helps improve your mood and as a result there are fewer cravings.