For those ready to kick the habit and put down the cigarettes for good, there is help available. Health Magazine posted some supportive tips for those willing to get creative to stop their dangerous, addictive habit. These tips take the patch and nicotine gum a step further.

Short bursts of activity.
A new review in the journal Addiction says a quick dose of exercise—as little as 30 minutes of brisk walking or stretching, for instance—quells cravings.

Online support.
Internet groups like Quitnet.com offer round-the-clock encouragement from fellow quitters and counselors. This kind of support can double your success, studies say.

Innovative medication.
Chantix, the newest stop-smoking drug, short-circuits nicotine’s ability to activate the pleasure centers in the brain, so lighting up is less enjoyable. According to the National Cancer Institute, more stop-smoking drugs (and possibly even a vaccine that makes nicotine unappealing) could hit the market within five years.

A new way to use the patch.
A study in Nicotine and Tobacco Research suggests that smokers who start the patch two weeks before they quit may double their success rate. (Talk to your doctor, because this trick risks exposing your body to a dangerous amount of nicotine if you smoke a lot while wearing the patch.)

The article also gave some insight into some innovative smoking-cessation programs that rely on massage therapy and counseling to help their clients quit the habit. Sounds effective. The same results can probably be achieved for far less money by adding weekly massage sessions to your current smoking-cessation routine. Here’s what Health Magazine had to report:

Put down the pack, put on a patch … and get a massage? Spas around the country, such as Canyon Ranch and Miraval, now offer smoking-cessation programs. Most feature a mix of counseling, relaxation therapies, and detox treatments that claim to help reduce the discomfort of quitting. There’s no research that says a spa treatment can help you quit, and the programs can be pricey ($2,000 to $4,000). But a little TLC may be just the ticket for jump-starting a healthier lifestyle.

The bottom line is to start somewhere to find the best remedy to support your kicking the habit. Stopping smoking today will add years to your life!


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