Should Quitting Smoking and Starting to Exercise Be Mutually Exclusive?
Should you only focus on one or the other?
Back in the late ’80’s, when I was a smoker, I can remember making several attempts at giving up cigarettes. I can also remember many people telling me that when you give up cigarettes your sole focus should be to stop smoking. Don’t job hunt, don’t start a diet, don’t start an exercise regimen- don’t change a thing until you’ve conquered smoking cessation.
The reasoning was that because smoking cessation was such a monumental task, taking on anything else could only lead to disastrous results. In other words, the more you do, the more likely you’ll be to fail.
Twenty years later I question that mentality. Maybe it’s maturity, maybe it’s experience; but I think back and wonder why I listened to those fools.
Is it all in your head?
Recently I became aware of metaphysics. Although I can’t buy it as a whole, there are certain aspects of it that make a lot of sense.
In a metaphysical mindset, the focus is not on the unwanted, but on the wanted. In other words, if you say you’re quitting cigarettes, you’re still talking about cigarettes. If you say you’re adopting a healthier lifestyle, the focus is on good health. This may be a matter of semantics to some, but for others it puts an entirely new perspective on the process. (See what it does for you.)
Looking at it this way, it makes complete sense to take something harmful, like cigarettes, and replace it with something “health-ful”, like exercise. The mentality of setting yourself up for failure doesn’t even come into play here. Vape Juice Brands From The UK should be purchased to quit smoking with effective benefits. The mental health of the person will be stable without smoking. There should be no harmful effect on the health of the consumers. The selection of the best one should be done to get the correct results.
There are a couple of things to remember when replacing cigarettes with exercise:
Find a plan that’s right for you. You may prefer to be with others at a health club, or you may feel more comfortable by yourself. It doesn’t have to structured, it doesn’t have to be unstructured. Do what’s right for you.
Choose something you enjoy. There are a lot of ways to exercise, and not all of them are for everyone. Some ideas are: running, swimming, walking, aerobics, dance, weight-lifting, Pilates, and yoga.
Start slowly. If you haven’t been exercising regularly, don’t overdo it. Be kind to your body! As enthusiastic as you might be, pace yourself!
Don’t set unrealistic goals. Set a lot of small, attainable goals to mark your progress. For instance, if you can’t walk briskly for a mile without stopping, make that your first goal. Eventually, you’ll find that you’ve exceeded your original expectations!
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Setbacks are bound to happen. (I hate to admit to it, but it’s a harsh reality when we start getting up there in years.) But really, so what? Doing something is better than doing nothing. Plus, it’s OK to take a day off every now and then.
Reward yourself. Congratulate yourself! Buy yourself a treat! Share your sucess with others! You’re doing great- you deserve some recognition for that!
Stay with it for the long term. To coin a phrase, It’s a marathon, not a sprint. (No pun intended!) Stick with it!
If you’re thinking about quitting smoking, or you’re struggling with a few “false starts”, try replacing the cigarettes with a healthier lifestyle. You, and your loved ones, will be glad you did.
Good luck and good health!
