Physical activity is one of the best ways to work on both your health and your appearance. There are countless benefits to being active, including the fact that it can help you stay smoke-free and manage your weight. Many people get caught in the cycle of quitting, gaining weight, and going back to smoking because of the weight they gain. But you can use physical activity to avoid or at least minimize that weight gain, while working on quitting your smoking habit for good.

Focus more closely on physical activity and how it can help you if you are struggling to quit smoking or if you have already quit and trying to stay smoke-free. One of the ways that physical activity helps is by giving you something to do instead of smoking. When some people quit, they feel that something important has been taken away from them.

One of the best ways to get over that feeling of loss is to fill those empty spaces with new habits and activities. Physical activity is a great alternative because it can be fun and it’s incompatible with smoking; you simply can’t smoke when you are walking, jogging, swimming, playing tennis, gardening, or housecleaning. Physical activity can help get you through some difficult times, such as when you are really craving a cigarette, feeling irritable and/or stressed out.

Research has shown that regular, vigorous physical activity can help people to stay off cigarettes and manage their weight. We also know that even moderate-intensity activity can help to manage your weight and is likely to help you stay smoke-free. Now this doesn’t mean that you have to immediately start on a vigorous exercise program.

Increasing your level of physical activity can be tough, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been active. Don’t feel bad if you need to start out slowly; most people do. Or, if you are moving forward but need to take a couple of steps back, don’t be too concerned, this is very common. The important thing is that you build up to a regular exercise routine that fits your lifestyle.

Keep in mind that becoming more active does not have to be painful. There are obstacles, but they can be overcome by planning ahead of time. We will help you find simple ways to fit physical activity into your life that don’t require too much time or money. You can start by stepping up the things you already do, such as taking an extra lap around the mall when you go shopping or parking a little farther away from the grocery store and walking the extra distance. This can help you build up to a more vigorous level when you are ready.