Exercising plays a very important role in helping you to achieve that difficult aim of quitting smoking. However, several reasons and excuses often act as major hindrances to prevent any smoker to begin a consistent exercise routine. This short checklist can help you to tackle this issue by taking small steps for larger gains. You can include exercises such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, etc or the usual gym workouts to help you get a fitter and healthier lifestyle.

EXERCISE SMARTLY

• Take one step at a time - Always aim for achievable goals and not those which are practically out of your reach.
• Take out only 15 minutes from your daily schedule for exercise and if all goes as planned, you will eventually increase this.
• Even if you exercise three to four times a week, it is sufficient to build a habit over a period of time.
• Indulge in exercises which you enjoy, and which are not a burden. For instance, playing your favourite sport or going on adventure walks can be a fun way.
• Try and find a partner with similar goals, quitting smoking for example. This will help you to keep yourself motivated and inspired.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISING FOR QUITTERS

• Banishes toxins from the body which are accumulated after smoking cigarettes. The deep breathing supplies fresh oxygen to all body parts to keep them rejuvenated.
• Reduces stress and bring inner peace which is like a breath of fresh air to the nicotine rich tissues of the body. The nicotine supplied by the cigarettes are removed and replaced with fresh blood cells and improved immunity.
• The sense of smell and touch are slowly restored, allowing the smoker to once again enjoy the simple things in life such as good food and a warm hand shake - the body’s senses are deteriorated from all the toxins which a small cigarette contains.
• Apart from these, the usual health benefits such as better stamina, low risk of diseases such as cardiac and lung problems and better muscle coordination are imparted to the person trying to quit smoking.
• This helps a long way in inspiring the person to eventually quit smoking for good. This sort of inspiration which arises on its own is much more influential than all the support talks at groups and in hospitals as the smoker gets a first hand experience as to how their body will change when they stop smoking.

These are some of the benefits which exercising can impart to a smoker who is trying to quit smoking. Fitness plays a major role in improving the overall well being of a person and guiding them on the way to healthy living.