Exercise is Better Way to Boost Metabolism than Smoking

Cigarette smoking forces the heart to beat faster. The smoker's heart may beat up to 20 times more per minute, when a cigarette is inhaled. Smokers should know that the most common cause of smoking-related death is extra stress on the heart by smoking. A smoking habit of 20 cigarettes a day puts the same amount of stress on the heart as 90 pounds of extra weight would.

When smoker stops smoking, heart rate slows down somewhat, causing metabolism to drop slightly. Even with retarded metabolism, which is the signal to a slight weight gain, smoker can take steps to build metabolic rate back up in ways that benefit health rather than destroy it, as smoking does. If weight gain due to quitting smoking is something you fear or is a reality you are struggling with, use exercise to boost metabolism and minimize weight gain.

Exercise burns calories and boosts metabolism for up to 24 hours after working out. Nicotine use triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Exercise also releases this same brain chemical, but in a healthy way that allows us to enjoy the pleasant effects of dopamine without risking our health to do it. Exercise breaks down fat and releases it into the bloodstream.

Increase your level of daily activity, this will help you keep your weight stable as you recover from nicotine addiction and provide you with other important benefits as well, but be sure to check in with your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen, especially if you wasn't active before.

Take five.
The next time you feel tense or have the urge to smoke, head out for a brisk 5-minute walk up the street and back. It works wonders for snapping you out of a bad mood and gets your heart pumping too.

Park at the back of the lot.
Do not patrol the parking lot looking for the space that is closest to the entrance of the building. Head for the back of the lot and take advantage of the opportunity to add a few more steps to your day.

Use the stairs.
Even if you climb the stairs every other time you need to move from one level to another, you are benefiting your health and helping your waistline.

Get your hands dirty.
Otherwise known as gardening, digging in the dirt is good for the spirit. And yes, it burns calories too.

Breathe deep and embrace your yard work.
Everything from mowing the lawn to raking leaves counts as exercise, and potentially a significant amount at that.

Use housework as a tool.
While this may not be the way you'd prefer to get your exercise, housework is a part of daily life for just about all of us. Make the most of yours by doing your household chores at a strong, steady pace. You will burn more calories than you might imagine.

Also, try to schedule time for sports a few times a week as you move through the smoking cessation process. Walking and swimming are two low-impact activities that are good for just about everyone. And remember, be sure to get your doctor's approval before committing to a new exercise routine.

Swimming
Swimming is a very low impact way to exercise your body and refresh yourself at the same time. If you don't have a local club that offers public swims, check with area hotels. They often allow non-guests to use their pool/exercise facilities for a small fee.

Dancing
Whether it is in your living room to a piece of favorite music, or a night out at the club with friends, dancing is a fun way to be active. You don't have to be a good dancer to enjoy this form of exercise and burn many calories while you're at it.

Walking
A good pair of walking shoes is the only equipment you need to get started with this form of exercise. Walk the neighborhood on sunny days, or, if the weather is bad, walk the circumference of the mall. Or use a treadmill to get your daily steps in indoors.

Bicycling
Bicycling is a wonderful way to work your body while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors. Pack a water bottle and a light snack, and head out on your bike to explore your surroundings.

Strength Training
Especially important for those of us who are getting older, strength training builds muscle mass and slows bone loss while boosting metabolic rate.

Yoga
Yoga improves balance while strengthening the body. It also benefits mood by helping us let go of stress that we often unconsciously carry along with us day to day. If you have never tried yoga, follow the link below to learn more about it.

Every little bit of movement counts when it comes to fighting quitting smoking weight gain, not to mention general health benefits. Be creative and committed to adding regular exercise into your life, and think of physical activity as an important tool in your quitting smoking toolbox. Use it to boost metabolism, mood, and ultimately, your motivation to successful nicotine addiction quitting and healthy, vivid life.

by the courtesy of Quit Smoking Pro

Make Cold Turkey Works for You

The quit smoking cold turkey solution is the most popular quitting method because almost any smoker break away from addiction turning to it. Cold turkey is easy to try, but many people only fail and turn to drugs and other methods to quit. To success with quit smoking cold turkey understand that in the first days following the quit smoking cold turkey cessation process you will feel very irritated and tired. But you should know that after few days the severe irritability will pass.

To decrease severity of nicotine cravings ex-smoker should drink a lot of water. Whenever you feel the craving take a walk or do some exercises. Calling a friend when you feel like smoking is another suggestion that can help the quit smoking cold turkey method. These small tips can help you succeed in using the quit smoking cold turkey method.

The quit smoking cold turkey method is free and this is why so many try it, but the fact is that people associate this radical solution with a strong willpower and total self-control. The quit smoking cold turkey method is very straight, but you should prepare yourself. Your desire to be smoke free should be stronger than the need for cigarette. The quit smoking cold turkey refers to something done without preparation, but you better prepare to make this solution works for you and let you succeed in your quit smoking process.

Don't Try to Cut Down – Just Go Cold Turkey

If you want to quit smoking without drug and patches, you can use two approaches. The first is to quit gradually by cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke until you are not smoking at all. The second way is to quit cold turkey.

Which is the better method to quit smoking? Statistics have shown that those who set a quit date and then quit cold turkey have a much better success rate than those who try to cut down on their cigarette consumption daily.

The reason that quitting smoking cold turkey might work better than cutting down gradually is because once the smoker strikes the quit date they are in a invariable position with their craving. They cannot just say, "Oh, one more today is not going to hurt."

In addition, smokers who are cutting down the cigarettes are still surrounded by all the triggers for smoking including the lighter and the cigarette pack. This is like telling a heroin addict not to do heroin while at the same time giving them a needle and ounce of the drug.

Cutting down on cigarettes before an actual quit date seems to help. Also, to reduce your smoking before quit date try to buy only one pack at a time, change brands each time, and give your cigarettes to someone else to hold, so that you have to ask for one every time you want to smoke.

Already Quitted? What's your next goal?

Goals are dreams with deadlines.

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.

Many ex-smokers forgot about their struggle with smoking, all quitting smoking drama, and finally forgot their pride of leaving this unmitigated evil behind not long after smoking cessation process. There is no doubt that it's not good to forget any experience, and it's not good to stop self-perfection process.

Do you remember a man that gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food? He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. So, maybe, it is not good idea to implement new great life changes for ex-smoker, who quitted smoking three or less months ago, it is too early to make some other movements. However, it's not good if you can't praise yourself for something more than one year old quitting smoking triumph. You must have some further ideas of self-development.

First, ex-smoker needs to give priority to personal goals, but, certainly, one of the most important goals is health. Many of ex-smokers not have the time in their busy schedule (or have strong enough reasons) to implement a balanced and healthy lifestyle, but ex-smoker should try to follow through plain health principles such as enough sleep, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

Goal setting is a powerful process that helps ex-smoker choose where to go in life. By knowing exactly what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. Decide what you want to do with your life, and what major goals you want to achieve, and then divide these into the smaller and smaller aims that you must strike to reach your lifetime goals. Finally, once you have your plan, start working on it.

When you have achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so, as you did when finally quitted. With the experience of having achieved this goal, observe the progress you have made towards other goals. Adjust your goals regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience, and if some goals do not hold any magnetism any longer, then let them go.

Goal setting is an important technique of motivating yourself; deciding what is important for you to achieve in your life; separating what is important from what is irrelevant, or a distraction; and building your self-confidence, based on successful achievement of goals. If you don't already set goals, do so, starting now. As you make this method part of your life, you will wonder how you did without it!

by the courtesy of Quit Smoking Pro

Companies Forbidding Smoking in Private Lives

A growing number of companies in Florida are forbidding their workers from smoking not only at work, but also in their private lives. Westgate Resorts, the largest private employer in Central Florida, has banned smoking and won't budge from a policy of not hiring smokers and firing employees who do smoke.

"When I found out it was legal to discriminate against smokers, I put the policy in place. If you are too stupid to understand that smoking is going to kill you, then we are going to tell you that if you want to work for our company, you will not smoke," Westgate president and CEO David Seigel said. Seigel also said that the policy was prompted by the death of his close friend - a heavy smoker who died of cancer.

Seigel said his policy is cost effective and said since it went into effect, health insurance claims have gone down significantly - making insurance more affordable for employees. The concern for privacy groups is that policies could extend beyond health issues. "Anything we can do that is legal and not discriminatory, we will do," Seigel said. "If you are an alcoholic and we have the right to fire you, we will do so. And if you are obese and there is a way for us not to hire you or to fire you, we will do that, too."

Several Westgate employees were found leaving his building and smoking in a nearby strip mall. Seigel said if those smokers will be disciplined and assisted to quit smoking, when the non-smoking policy initially went into effect he gave employees a year to stop smoking and opportunities to receive counseling, patches and other smoking cessation programs.