What is a good method for easing into an exercise plan and quitting smoking? -
I have smoked regularly for 2 years and am ready to quit. I don-t want to gain weight after I quit. It-s not as if i-ve been totally lazy, but I would like to gradually build up my endurance again. Any tips?
it took me about 2-3 tries, but I quit smoking and started running. i previously ran cross country in high school, but got adrift in college smoking/partying. i accomplished this change by:
1. Being consistent. Making sure I walk/ran a set distance every day at the same time. It was a park across the street (did one 2 mile loop) every day at the same time.
2. Improving my speed through interval/burst running. I started off walking mostly, but did small bursts of running to pressure my lungs/cardiovascular system. Eventually my intervals got longer until I was able to run the whole circuit. It took me nearly a month or a month and a half after about 2-3 years of smoking a pack a day.
You may have been smoking longer, I don-t know. But I realized I was on the wrong track and it was pretty hard to quit and get healthy, but I did it.
I would suggest you look up terms like Endurance/Running on the web. There are a lot of simple schedules/routines to follow. The best thing to do is make sure you are really stressing your lungs/body (don-t over do it). You have to get your heart going.
Start walking up to 30 minutes a day. You will need to cut down on calories because the average quitter gains 10-20 pounds in 6 months.