Withdrawal symptoms make quitting smoking challenging for many. However, there's a trick to keep the show on the road so you'll achieve your goals.
10-Minute Trick To Alleviate Withdrawal Symptoms
A new study from the University of Innsbruck in Austria discovered that exercising for just 10 minutes outdoors or indoors can reduce cravings and alleviate withdrawal symptoms in those who have temporarily quit smoking.
"There are several studies on the effect of indoor exercise sessions on temporarily abstinent smokers, ours is the first to include outdoor activity," said first author Stefanie Schöttl, a doctoral student at the Department of Sport Science at the University of Innsbruck
In the study, 16 smokers were asked to abstain from smoking for the entire night. The next day, participants were randomly split into three groups and given 10 minutes for each activity: walking briskly outside, on an indoor treadmill, or sitting.
To eliminate individual preferences, we randomized every participant. According to Martin Kopp, a professor of sport and exercise psychology, we assigned them to every condition with corresponding treatment-free phases.
The subjects' moods, withdrawal symptoms, and desires were inquired about before, during, and following each session. They also mentioned the time they had until they had another smoke.
Compared to the control group, they discovered that cravings were lower in the groups that exercised indoors and outdoors, and the same was true for withdrawal symptoms and general well-being.
However, while exercising indoors and outdoors both work, there's a key difference in the result.
"Another-albeit not significant-difference between indoor and outdoor exercise sessions is the time that passes before the next cigarette," said Schöttl.
For the indoor group, the time elapsed was 17 minutes, and for the outdoor group, it was 26 minutes. According to Kopp, future experiments are still needed to confirm this tendency.
Common Withdrawal Symptoms
Those who try to quit smoking tend to experience withdrawal symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here are some of them.
Having urges or cravings
When people stop smoking regularly, almost everyone has cravings or an impulse to smoke again. They could be slight or occasionally feel very strong. One of the most crucial things you can do to continue succeeding is to learn how to handle desires.
You can take a tonne of steps to lessen the severity of your cravings and impulses. Anti-smoking medications can be quite beneficial. Recalling your reasons for stopping can be one of the other thoughts that will help you get through a craving. Remind yourself that cravings never have to be satisfied and will always pass.
Feeling irritated
It's not unusual to feel grumpy or annoyed after quitting. This is common knowledge among those who have never smoked as part of stopping. It can be useful to know that this is typical.
Remember that your body is probably becoming accustomed to not having nicotine, which is why you are probably feeling this way. Breathe deeply a few times and remind yourself of your reasons for stopping.
Feeling grumpy and restless
Feeling jittery or restless in the initial days or weeks following stopping is common. The absence of nicotine can initially annoy not just your mind but also the rest of your body.
Engaging in some physical activity can assist in releasing your jitteriness. If you start to feel restless, get up and take a little stroll. Reduce your intake of tea, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages. Caffeine stays in your body longer after you stop smoking.
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