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Exercise: Sports Is the Sure Substitute

by Anonymous

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

I began smoking at age eighteen, which seems absolutely ridiculous. Smoking is ridiculous no matter what, but to start smoking that old? For a couple of years, I did that whole tedious quit, start again, quit, start again routine. What has helped me to officially quit has been exercise. I was always involved in sports, which is why the idea of smoking seemed even more ridiculously. I began to decrease the number of cigarettes I smoked per day and to think of myself as a non-smoker. Then, one day I was simply sick of it. To deal, I have begun to go to the gym regularly, I've continued to do Tae Kwon Do, and I've continued to swim. Sports have been the sure substitute. Another thing that can be helpful (if you're not into the whole work-out thing) is to start a list of other things you can do, because you forget what you did with all that time before you began smoking. Some of the things on my list might include: reading, writing, calling a friend, cleaning, studying, going to a movie, doing a cross-word puzzle, taking a bike ride, or gardening. There are so many other valuble things to be doing with your time, and the benefits of not smoking far outweigh the benefits of smoking!!! It's a long hard road with potential road blocks, but the key word is persevere.