So, you have achieved what millions are trying to achieve at the moment; you have quit smoking. Kudos! Now, its time to tackle that pesky problem of weight-gain.
The BMJ journal shows that quitters tend to put on weight. It states that those who quit smoking gain 10 to 11 pounds on an average, with the maximum gain in the first 3 months.
But why does this bloating process occur? The simplest explanation is that nicotine boosts our metabolisim; so when it is gone, the
metabolism slows and fat piles up!
However, now that you have gladly crushed the cigarette, why not put the muscles to work and get back to flaunting a fit and healthy body. Exercise helps to elevate the ‘feel good’ hormones, i.e. the endorphin levels (which would earlier be elevated through smoking) and obviously helps you get in shape.
So, here you have the one stone of exercise to get you the two birds chirping ‘quit smoking’ and ‘get in shape’.
Don’t hit the track – walk the track!
It’s good to go easy on exercise just after you have quit smoking (this doesn’t mean you act like a lazy bum and qualify ‘moving hands while sitting’ as exercise). Doctors advise that initially one must go easy to prevent any problems arising from congested lungs.
Start by walking for 20 minutes (it is okay to bird watchliterally or not literally). After a week get onto brisk walking for 15 minutes. Gradually increase your allotted 20 minutes of brisk walking to 30 minutes and then eventually to an hour. It’s good enough if you brisk walk for an hour 3 to 4 times per week.
Warm up
Before you work out, it is nice to warm up. If your gym is around 20 minute walk away from your home, walk to your gym. This serves as a good warm up. Start your workout session with a few stretches.
If you have knee of back problems, then it’s a good idea to opt for low impact exercises like swimming and cycling. Just ensure that you actually swim instead of taking out time to stand and stare.
Steal oxygen from the park
Dr. Lowell Dale of the Mayo Clinic has said that more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco are responsible for damaging the
skin’s strength and elasticity. With the nicotine deposited, the blood vessels tend to narrow down especially on the skin’s outermost layer.
This makes the skin prone to premature wrinkles. Scared of housing a saggy skin? All you need to do is head to the park, jog and infuse your skin with oxygen.
Touch 8
A scale called Perceived Rate of Exhaustion (PRE) helps to tell how hard you are working out. ‘1’ means sitting down,
while ‘10’ is the fastest run. Begin with 7, and as with every passing day you turn fit, touch 8.
Add-ins
Having the same routine daily can turn highly boring! So incorporate 2 minutes each of planks and tricep dips into your hour-long brisk walk session.
The quitter’s food
Henri-Jean Aubin, an addiction specialist feels that the maximum weight gain occurs during the first three to four months after quitting. To shed weight, you need an altogether different diet for your body. Initially you might crib about the food, but as you see its effects, you’ll begin to love your new diet.
• 6 or more portions of vegetable and fruit in a day (you need more of antioxidants).
• Two liters of water daily to flush out the toxins you have built into yourself.
• One boiled egg to greet you every morning, giving you the required protein to work out.
• Two portions of bitter gourd every week to help blood circulation.
Connie Diekman, Director of University Nutrition at Washington University at St. Louis feels that change is hard So, Diekman recommends that if people are going to need to ‘change’ their eating habits drastically, it is better to begin doing it before one
quits smoking. It’s more like a tip to make things simpler in the post-cessation stage.
Vani Chugh is a proficient blogger and concentrates majorly in the health and technology niche areas. She writes
blogs and guest blogs for E-cigarette reviewed. Please click here to visit the website.
