Effect Of Quitting Tobacco On Your Health And Fitness

Some positive effects of quitting cigarettes on your overall health and fitness are listed below:

• Quitting cigarettes improves the overall functioning of your lungs. It improves your breathing and as a result your overall fitness levels improve.

• If you quit smoking and take to exercising, there is a strong likelihood that you will stick to the daily routine of exercising. Regular exercising will make you stronger and you will improve your endurance.

• When you quit smoking, you are less likely to get injured and hospitalized. It has been found that people who smoke are more likely to get injured and their bodies even take longer to recover.

• Tobacco smoking causes poor blood circulation, muscle weakness, fatigue, and poor physical performance. On the other hand, when you quit smoking, you will feel more energetic and will have better blood circulation. Better blood circulation provides more oxygen to your body and as a result you tend to be more energetic and efficient.

• When you quit smoking, you are in a better position to cope with stress. On quitting smoking, you will stop getting the short term nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as difficulty in concentrating, irritability, late reaction time, and cognitive impairment. On the contrary, you tend to become more alert and attentive.

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have estimated that male smokers can lose as much as 13 years of their lives whereas female smokers can lose about 14.5 years of their lives by smoking. Smoking increases your chances of having deadly diseases such as lung cancer and coronary artery disease. By quitting smoking, you can be assured of a longer and healthier life.

Quitting Cigarettes and Weight Gain

Quitting cigarettes is often accompanied by a weight gain. Cigarettes tend to activate the metabolism of your body. Smoking a pack of cigarettes can actually burn about 250 calories. So when you quit, your body has the extra calories to deal with, which in turn lead to a slight weight gain. If you indulge in regular exercising, you can increase the metabolism of your body and that will help keep the calories in control. You can also chew sugar-free gum and eat healthy snacks to check tobacco triggers. If you pick up a hobby that keeps your hands and mind busy, you can actually stay clear of that pack of cigarettes and the cookie jar. Moreover, craving for a cigarette is often confused for a hunger pang. You should try to drink water and move around more frequently. If you take the stairs or walk around a building, you will easily burn off those extra calories.

Exercising and eating healthy can help lower the bad cholesterol in your body and it even helps in combating the nicotine withdrawal symptoms.