How to Exercise After Quitting Smoking

It’s already a struggle to quit smoking due to the extreme nicotine withdrawal symptoms you’re feeling. Isn’t exercising an added form of physical stress that can make your mental and emotional pain worse?

No, it doesn’t. In fact, exercising during the first few weeks of quitting smoking is highly beneficial to your lungs and entire body. You might feel uncomfortable, but the endorphins in your system can alleviate your withdrawal symptoms.

But you might ask, “How do I exercise after quitting smoking? I’m not athletic?”

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We’re not talking about the Olympic exercises you’re thinking of — what we’re saying is keeping yourself physically active throughout your quit journey.

Let’s learn more about it in today’s post.

Before starting: Consult a health professional

While we’ve mentioned that you can exercise after quitting smoking, it’s still best to see your GP before you start any form of physical activity.

While withdrawals vary in intensity, it might mask other issues your lungs or body might have that exercise can exacerbate. With a GP’s guidance, you’ll feel peace of mind that you have no potential COPD or early-onset arthritis caused by smoking or other diseases before you start exercising.

They can also assess how intense your physical exercise can be for your safety and overall wellness.

Start slow and gradually increase intensity

Remember, your body is still recovering from the chemicals in cigarette smoke. You may experience loss of breath even if you haven’t started brisk walking or jogging (this is normal for anyone starting to quit smoking).

Once your lungs have cleared and you are no longer experiencing any loss of breath, you can now start brisk walking or even jogging. Start slow and be mindful of your limits. If you feel tired, stop, then try to assess how much you can walk or run.

After you’ve set your baseline (it usually takes a week or two to know how much you can walk or run), you can start ‘leveling up’ and walk or jog for longer or even do sprints — but do consult with your GP first if you can do this.

Keep in mind your body is still not in top shape — your body has poor oxygenation levels due to smoking. But, what exercise can do for  you is boost your mood through endorphin releases and give you a consistent routine that contributes to your wellness.

Focus on cardiovascular exercises

If you start with cardiovascular or cardio exercises, you can improve and strengthen your heart and lungs.

Cardio exercises like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and biking may be the most tiring, but they raise your heart rate, help burn fat, and improve blood oxygenation. Cardio workouts are essential in improving your breathing and reducing plaque that narrows your arteries to restore blood flow.

When you first start running or biking, don’t be disappointed about the short distance and time you can achieve. Over time, as your body recovers and improves now that you’ve quit smoking, you’ll be able to go longer distances in no time.

Incorporate strength training

Now that you’ve stopped smoking, your musculoskeletal system gets enough nutrition and calcium to build your physique. If you want to go beyond cardio exercises, you can incorporate strength training to improve your mobility and bone density.

Bodyweight exercises are best for people who have already quit smoking a week or a month. By doing simple wall push-ups, assisted pull-ups, and wall sits, you can improve your bone density and muscle mass without causing injuries by overloading your muscles.

We recommend working with a coach specialising in your chosen strength training programme. With an expert monitoring your performance, you have minimal risk of injury, proper nutrition, and a way to gauge if your muscles and strength are growing.

Find enjoyable activities

You’ve put your foot out the door by deciding to be physically active, but will you keep a routine despite being tired and sore after a session? 

It’s important to pick an exercise you love and won’t grow tired of. If weightlifting didn’t work out for you, pick running or kayaking next. Was brisk walking too boring? Team games like soccer, volleyball, and football have been proven much more enjoyable and sustainable for most people, so sign up for a team.

There are plenty of physical activities and sports to go around, so try one and see which works for you.

Stay hydrated

One immediate benefit of exercising after smoking cessation is you will up your water intake. Sweating will have you drinking more than 8 glasses of water daily, which helps your body fight off the headaches and nausea common during nicotine withdrawals and flush out toxins from your body. 

When you drink lots of water, your blood efficiently transports nutrients that aid in physically and mentally recovering after a strenuous workout, improving your performance during your next session.

Summary

Exercising after quitting smoking is possible if you treat yourself with kindness when you start slow and can’t work out for more than a few minutes. By starting slow, you give your body enough time to recover and improve its performance the next time you start your routine.

We know you’re reading this because you’re primed to exercise after deciding to quit smoking. Once again, be kind to yourself when you get started. There are also plenty of other challenges you might face on your quit journey, and we can help.

Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around! 

If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.

Link Reference:

• https://www.upmc.com/services/south-central-pa/surgery/optimization-clinic/smoking-wound-healing
• https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/smoking-and-musculoskeletal-health/
• https://www.keckmedicine.org/blog/6-reasons-why-team-sports-are-good-for-your-health/