Exercise Equipment Review

An often overlooked aid to quit smoking is exercise. Several governmental studies have shown that smokers who exercise regularly were twice as likely to succeed at quitting as those who didn’t exercise. Why does exercise help? It has to do with stress reduction and the incompatibility of smoking with exercise. For everyone but the most committed smokers, it’s just hard to smoke while exercising.

Many people smoke to help reduce stress. Exercise has the same stress reducing effects as smoking and also helps you feel better, physically and mentally. The study showed that people who went for a brisk walk at the onset of cravings were able to go without a cigarette much longer than those who didn’t exercise at all.

Exercise can also be an activity that you and your friends do together. Having a workout partner can help keep exercise fun and interesting and your friend can help keep your mind off of the cravings for a cigarette. Whether you go to a gym or just take brisk walks around your neighborhood, the simple act of getting up and out will have profound effects on your success in staying quit.

For those of us who are out of shape, it’s best to start with simple exercises like walking. When you feel the need to light up a cigarette, walk briskly around your yard or office. You’ll find that physical exertion goes a long way towards reducing that nasty craving. Don’t overdo it; start with something simple and do it for only 10 or 15 minutes. You can extend the time as you get into better shape. Oh, that’s another benefit to using exercise to help quit smoking; you’ll get in better shape and feel better faster than otherwise.

Smoking is also difficult to do while you’re exercising. Can you imagine smoking a cigarette while running a mile? Doing pushups? What about weightlifting or aerobics? It doesn’t really fit, does it? Exercise can help occupy your mind during those times that you are craving a cigarette. Exercise also raises the level of endorphins in your brain, providing positive reinforcement for the activity. Your body will be more apt to do things that it associates with feeling good.

Exercise, alone, is usually not enough to quit smoking, but it can play an integral role in the process. Exercise can also help reduce the cost of nicotine replacement therapies; with regular exercise you can cut down on the number of patches you use, the amount of nicotine gum you chew and how frequently you use a nicotine inhaler or nasal spray.