Exercise away the urge to smoke | Zyla Health
Smoking is an addiction and it seems impossible to leave this addiction. With time, not only does the need to smoke increase but the harmful effects that smoking has on your body also increases.
The main game here is to find tricks that work in order to combat the urge to grab a cigarette or know a way to exercise away the urge to smoke. As impossible as it may seem, small and steady steps can help you to quit smoking. Remember slow and steady wins the race.
Before trying to quit smoking, firstly you should understand why you should quit smoking. Let’s talk about some of the harmful effects of long-term smoking on your body before jumping to the exercises that prevent smoking.
Harmful effects of smoking on the human body
Within 10 seconds of the first smoke, the harmful chemical toxins reach your brain, lungs, heart and other vital organs. It further results in various harmful effects on your body like the following:
1. Breathing difficulties
The harmful particles of the smoke have a direct impact on your lungs. It decreases the amount of air you breathe and hence results in developing serious lung damage which is progressive in nature. It might cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) also.
2. Heart disease and decrease in blood flow
Over a period of time, smoking has been shown to cause a decrease in blood flow by the formation of clots. These clots may cause a heart attack or even a stroke if they block vital arteries in the heart or brain.
3. Dental problems
There is no wonder that the first point of contact with this harmful smoke is your mouth. Repetitive exposure may lead to gum problems, tooth sensitivity or even tooth loss.
4. Diabetes
The chances of developing diabetes are 20–40% higher in individuals who smoke as compared to non-smokers. If you already have diabetes and still smoke then this condition may further worsen, causing harmful effects on your kidneys or nerves.
5. Cancer
Smoking is one of the significant causes of cancer, particularly of the mouth, throat, lungs, voice box etc. It can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body.
6. Fertility problems
Smoking can make it difficult for females to get pregnant and on the other hand men who smoke have a decreased sperm count and motility.
After knowing all these harmful effects of smoking on your body, I hope that you must be eager to quit it as soon as possible. One of the easiest ways to quit smoking is by exercising. Simply, you have to exercise away the urge to smoke by keeping yourself busy in your free time.
If you are looking for a de-addiction program, download the Zyla app or check out our website Zyla.in and get the best guidance. At Zyla, we provide a holistic approach to dealing with de-addiction.
So far, we have discussed smoking and some common health issues associated with it. Now, we will move to the next interesting topic, exercises that prevent smoking. You must be wondering how exercise can help in combating smoking addiction? Let’s dive into that answer.
Physical activity and smoking addiction
When we use physical activity to deal with smoking, it is more about channelling the urge of smoking in the right direction. So basically, it is a trick to exercise away the urge to smoke. Physical activity serves as a means to keep you distracted and at the same time fit also.
How does exercise help in dealing with smoking?
When it comes to using physical activity as a means of quitting smoking, physical activity doesn’t directly help you in quitting smoking but it plays a major role in the following:
- Exercising helps in reducing the cravings to smoke to a great extent.
- Withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and depression create a greater chance of relapse, physical activity helps in battling these symptoms due to the release of happy hormones like endorphins, dopamine & serotonin in the brain and decreasing your tendency to relapse!
- According to studies, exercising decreases the other withdrawal symptoms of smoking, both during exercise and up to 50 minutes after exercise.
- Smokers tend to eat more calories than non-smokers causing weight gain. Most of the fat accumulation happens around the belly. Physical activity, with time, can increase energy levels and motivate you to reduce weight and quit smoking.
All you really need to do to keep smoking at bay is to engage in activities you like to do! This will help you stay motivated and look forward to your journey in a positive way.
You can include a variety of physical activities like aerobic exercises that include walking, strength training which include exercises done against load or flexibility exercises in the form of yoga.
To know more about the types of exercises and their intensity, duration and benefits, read our blog, “The top 10 benefits of regular physical activity”.
Now, you must have realized that exercise can prevent smoking in a number of ways. Beating addiction is not at all easy, it requires effort every single day, especially on the days when you feel like giving up.
Let’s discuss some tips which will help you in staying consistent with physical activity and help in beating the urge to grab that cigarette.
Tips for being regular
- Pick activities that you like to do daily: It can be anything like dancing, swimming or even playing your favourite sport.
- Choose a time to include this activity and stick to that time: By picking the same time every day the body adapts and you are less likely to skip a workout.
- Have a workout partner: Did you know, that having a partner creates a sense of healthy competition and works as motivation? Try it out yourself to know!
- Plan your workout in advance: By doing so, you don’t have to waste time thinking about what you should do instead you can directly start your exercises.
- Try to include different forms of exercise: This will prevent you from getting bored with your same routine.
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule: This will help you to be more energized for your workout.
Before beginning your fitness journey towards exercising away the urge to smoke, there are certain things that you should keep in mind…
Things to keep in mind before starting your fitness journey
- Do not perform exercises that cause any type of discomfort or pain.
- If you have any pre-existing pain in the body, resolve that with the help of proper guidance first.
- There is no one shoe that fits all. So, find what suits you the best and stick to it, after all, consistency is the key to success.
- Work through your addiction step by step. Track your progress frequently to know if you are improving.
- Perform exercises in a gradual manner and make sure to not over-exert yourself all at once.
With all these amazing tricks and tips, and the endless benefits of including physical activities, why wait? Start your journey today, lay off the addiction that runs you and exercise away the urge to smoke!
It is always better to progress with proper guidance so you can achieve the best results and not feel lost when it comes to the overwhelming information over google.
Our team of professionals at Zyla health work together to give you a holistic approach to meeting your goals. I suggest not to delay any further and download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in to explore the de-addiction program and start your journey towards a better and healthier you.
Stay happy and healthy!
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