No Smoking Day 2022: Even if you are a smoker, it will not come as a surprise to you that tobacco use is linked to a number of chronic ailments, including cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. It is one of the leading causes of death and disease in India, with about 1.35 million people dying each year, according to World Health Organization. India is also the world’s second-largest tobacco consumer and manufacturer.
Smoking is an addiction that most people adhere to while fully knowing how detrimental it is to their health. But quitting is easier said than done. A toxic habit like smoking needs perseverance and a strong will to be kicked off because when withdrawal symptoms kick in, you get snappy and have a strong urge to smoke one more time. However, there are ways to control that urge and stay off the habit for good. On the occasion of No Smoking Day today, March 9, let us look into how you can control your urge to smoke and ditch the habit permanently.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your brain has to get used to not having nicotine around, you have to get used to daily routines that no longer include smoking and these two make quitting difficult. So, if you kept your mind diverted to your body, like performing exercises such as aerobics, the cravings tend to reduce up to 50 minutes after the exercise and gradually, when done on a daily basis, reduce for good.
Here are some exercises you can do to fight this toxic habit:
- Concentrate on combining cardio exercises such as running, jumping rope, and swimming. Stay on track by including any activities that you enjoy.
- If you’re a complete beginner, attempt to train three times a week with a full-body workout and three times a week with a cardio session of your choice.
- To achieve a well-rounded regimen, focus on resistance and cardio.
If you are at your workplace and you suddenly feel the urge to smoke, do not even think of looking at the smoking zone. Instead, do the following:
- Try some deep knee bends
- Briskly walk up and down a few flights of stairs
- Sit at your desk and alternate between relaxing and tensing your muscles.
- Close your office door or go somewhere quiet to do some push-ups. If you don’t want to go down on the floor, try standing push-ups against a wall.
As said earlier, ditching the nicotine monster takes perseverance and patience and it will not happen overnight. Even after you start your exercises regimen, the urge will be there for a few days, gradually diminishing until one fine day, you realise you do not need that fag anymore.
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