How to exercise after quitting smoking (2024)

FAQs

How to exercise after quitting smoking? ›

Try to set aside a regular time for exercise that works with your schedule. Try for 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Don't have 30 minutes? Studies show that exercising for 10 minutes three times a day gives the same benefits as 30 minutes of non-stop exercise.

You can start exercising as soon as you feel ready. You don't even need to wait until you've quit smoking to start exercising. However, you may find it harder to exercise if you're still smoking, as you're likely to get out of breath more quickly. The benefits of giving up smoking start straight away.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise increases the amount of oxygen that gets delivered to cells and tissues throughout your body. Cardiovascular exercises like brisk walking, swimming, running, and cycling are ideal for helping to clear out your lungs after you quit smoking.

One Month to One Year After Becoming a Non-Smoker

Your physical stamina improves as well, making activities such as jumping and running much easier. Additionally, your circulation gradually gets better over the next several months that you remain a non-smoker.

After one year your lungs will be healthier and breathing will be easier than if you'd kept smoking. Within two to five years your risk of heart disease will have dropped significantly (and will continue to do so over time).

Try nicotine replacement products or ask your doctor about other medications. Remind yourself that cravings will pass. Avoid situations and activities that you used to associate with using tobacco products. As a substitute for smoking, try chewing on carrots, pickles, apples, celery, sugarless gum, or hard candy.

When you quit smoking, dormant cells in the lungs will start to replace the damaged lung cells lining your airways. This leads to gradual healing and regeneration of your lungs, as well as a decreased risk of lung cancer. The rate at which your lungs heal depends on how long you were a smoker.

No specific products on the market today provide effective lung detox. The best way to care for your lung health is to quit smoking (if you smoke), avoid secondhand smoke exposure, exercise regularly, manage your exposure to indoor air pollution, and avoid outdoor air pollution.

When does brain fog go away after quitting smoking? ›

1 week – Most of the hard work is done, however, you may still experience low-level cravings and your concentration may still suffer. 2 to 4 weeks – At this point, your energy levels may be down, but your brain fog will begin to clear up. Most of the physical symptoms such as coughing and sore throat will also be gone.

What is considered a heavy smoker? A heavy smoker is someone who smokes more than 20 cigarettes (about one pack) per day, and usually smokes every day. Heavy smokers are often very dependent on tobacco, which makes quitting more complex and challenging.

1 to 12 months after quitting

Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Tiny hair-like structures (called cilia) that move mucus out of the lungs start to regain normal function, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

As these toxins are removed from the system, their impact on certain hormones diminishes. However, after chronic smoking, it can take up to 20 years for the body to fully return to the state of a non-smoker.

After seven days without smoking, you will have higher levels of protective antioxidants such as vitamin C in your blood. After a week without smoking, nerve endings damaged by smoking will start to regrow so you may start to notice you have more ability to taste and smell.