subject: Improved Breathing Can Help Smoking Cessation and Smoker's Cough [print this page] Author: Rob Hawkins Author: Rob Hawkins
*** Do Not Quit Smoking! Click Here *** In some parts of the world (yes, California, we're looking at you), smoking is treated like a crime or a sin. In other areas, like much of Europe, it is such an ingrained part of life that many visitors are hard-pressed to escape the nicotine in the air. However, no matter where you happen to live, smoking cessation can be tough if you are a long-time smoker. Many people like you have realized the that smoking causes breathing problems, but have caved in and gone back to smoking. Here is a little advice for your next attempt: you might have an easier time quitting if you use breathing exercises from yoga, chi gong, and other meditative or exercise disciplines. To begin with, these routines have very helpful psychological effects. Your body and mind will feel more relaxed, so you will have less of an urge to smoke in order to calm withdrawal jitters, or to wind down during a stressful situation. Furthermore, the necessity of concentrating on improved breathing will bolster your mental concentration and discipline, so you will be able to stick to your quitting plan, whether you have chosen gradual reduction of daily smoking, or have dived head-first into the cold turkey strategy. Yoga breathing and other similar practices can help you progress from saying, "I'm quitting smoking," to proudly declaring, "I have quit smoking." Still, even after you have completely cut cigarettes from your life, you cannot expect the bad effects of smoking to disappear right away. You may still have breathing difficulties like shortness of breath and poor circulation long after you've smoked your last coffin nail. Both of the abovementioned symptoms reduce the amount of oxygen therapy your body is getting: all the more reason to improve the way you breathe so that your body is better able to utilize oxygen and get rid of metabolic waste. Get used to breathing deeply, filling your abdomen and not just your chest. Also, become more accustomed to longer exhalations. After all, breathing is not just about taking in air. It is also about expelling the carbon dioxide that your body builds up during its normal processes. Without proper respiration, your body is much like a stuffy room, full of stale, dirty air. As an aside, deep breathing can also help some former smokers control the increased appetite that is a common side effect of dropping the habit. This is not only beneficial for purposes of maintaining your figure. Remember, overeating is unhealthy, too. Breathing exercises can also lessen smoker's cough, which is yet another effect of smoking that lingers long after you've cut down or cut out the cigarettes. This is because the toxins in cigarettes attack your cilia, or the microscopic hairs that push protective mucus out, so that it does not build up in your lungs and airways. Try to learn to breathe in such a way as to lessen the irritation of your airways. Less irritation, less phlegm production, less difficulty breathing, less stress for your recovering cilia. Quite simple, really. Quitting smoking is a big step that can significantly improve your life. Breathing exercises can help you get there.About the Author:
The Author recommends that you DO NOT Quite Smoking. There's a healthier alternative to it. To know more, please click here.
