If you're resolving to give up cigarettes and get active in 2009, you're in luck. Combining these two goals could actually increase your chances of success. Research shows that ex-smokers who start an exercise program after they quit are more likely to kick the habit for good, according to the January/February 2009 issue of Women's Health magazine. How so? According to the article, which cites a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine, "Those who received counseling sessions that encouraged physical activity increased the number of steps they walked by 16 percent, while ex-puffers who got nothing walked less. At the end of the study, those in the active group were 84 percent more likely to be smoke-free. Why? Exercise reinforces your commitment to a healthy lifestyle and might help battle withdrawal-related fatigue and sleep problems, explains lead author Jodi Prochaska, Ph.D., M.P.H." (Emphasis added.) Quitting smoking can be tough, but replacing smoking with a healthier habit can help increase your chances of success. Exercise surely fits the bill of a healthy, distracting, and beneficial habit. It boosts mood, combats depression, improves sleep, reduces stress and improves lung function, to name a few. If you get a craving for a cigarette, you just might bust it by taking a short stroll outside or doing a set of pushups in your office, for example. Your lungs and your muscles will thank you! For more quit-smoking ideas for the new year, check out the article "Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight" from Women's Health. Has exercise helped you (or someone you know) kick the habit? Do you have any other quit-smoking ideas to share with others? |
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