Fitness

The National Center for Chronic Disease Control provides Useful Resources to Quit Smoking

Youth Tobacco Cessation: A Guide for Making Informed Decisions is intended to help youth organizations decide whether to undertake youth tobacco-use cessation as a specific tobacco-control activity.

Within 20 Minutes of Quitting
This glossy-color poster features what happens within 20 minutes after smokers inhale that last cigarette, their bodies begin a series of changes that continue for years. Among these health improvements are a drop in heart rate, improved circulation, and reduced risk of heart attack, lung cancer and stroke.

The Benefits of Quitting
This bright-color poster displays the benefits of quitting compared to smokers. Quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits, reducing risks for stroke, cancers, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ulcer, peripheral artery disease, and low-birth-weight infants.

The Health Consequences of Smoking on The Human Body - This interactive animation will motivate smokers to stop smoking. It outlines the effects of smoking on the different organs of the human body and tips to stop smoking along with information on the health benefits of quitting.

Tobacco and Cancer

Coverage For Tobacco Use Cessation Treatments

Pathways to Freedom: Winning the Fight Against Tobacco
This guide was developed to address the national concern over the high rates of smoking among the African American population. It offers proven strategies for anyone who wants to quit; how friends and family can help; and how the community and its leaders can promote the value of gaining freedom from tobacco.

You Can Quit Smoking
This is an on-line version of the consumer guide entitled You Can Quit Smoking. This popular Public Health Service brochure provides practical information and helpful tips for those who plan to quit smoking.

Don't Let Another Year Go Up In Smoke: Quit Tips
Are you one of most smokers who want to quit? Then try following this advice.

I QUIT!: What to Do When You're Sick of Smoking, Chewing, or Dipping
Cessation guide targeted to teens who are trying to quit cigarettes or smokeless tobacco. It includes tips for dealing with nicotine withdrawal and for handling the situations that may lead to relapse.

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: A Clinical Practice Guideline.
Health care professionals have new evidence and tools to help patients quit using tobacco, according to a report issued by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). To obtain this report you can fax 301-594-2800 [Press 1]; or call 1-800-358-9295 for physician materials and a You Can Quit Smoking consumer guide or write to Publications Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 8547, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8547.
New Guidelines Challenge All Clinicians to Help Smokers Quit — Press Release.

Other Web sites to Help Quit Smoking

American Legacy Foundation — Quitting*
Legacy's national advertising campaign, hopes to raise awareness of the toll tobacco has taken upon women and encourages you or someone you love to seek help to quit smoking. Quitting may well be the most difficult thing you accomplish, but also the most rewarding and important. And when it comes to quitting smoking, there's no time like the present.

Smokefree.gov offers science-driven tools, information, and support that have been effective in helping smokers quit. Here, you will find state and national resources, free materials, and the best quitting advice the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and its partners have to offer.

The QuitNet — http://www.quitnet.org*
The QuitNet offers smokers an on-line support community, forums moderated by counselors, and individually tailored advice to help them kick their nicotine addiction.

American Cancer Society's* Resources:

by Rachel Keller

Starting an exercise program is often the easiest part. Adhering to it is the challenge! If you need some motivation, these 10 tips may help you:

1. Find something you enjoy and that will be easy for you to do.
If you hate running, than don't start a running program. Try brisk walking instead. Also, consider what is nearby. Your best choice is something that you are able to do.

2. Exercise at the the right time.
If you're not a morning person, first thing in the morning might not work for you. But don't use that as an excuse for not exercising, and be aware that the longer you put off exercising, the harder it is to get motivated to exercise.

3. Set specific, realistic, and attainable goals--both short-term and long-term.
Your weekly goal might be to work out four times, while your long-term goal might be to finish a 5K race. Keep your goals attainable.

4. Monitor your progress.
Keep a journal to see your improvement. Note your feelings about your exercise program, as well as your accomplishments. Progress takes time, but is a great encouragement to keep on.

5. Don't push yourself too hard or you'll want to quit.
While progress takes work, allow yourself adequate time to each new level.

6. Reward yourself for each new goal reached.
Buy yourself a new book, article of clothing, or something else that you enjoy.

7. Read about exercise and fitness.
The more you read, the more you will learn about exercise and avoid potential pitfalls or common misconceptions about exercise.

8. Vary or change your routine.
When your workout routine starts to get stale, add variety. Whether you walk, run, or cycle, you can try new and different routes. If nothing else, do your regular route backwards. Also, try adding another activity for change. Not only is that great cross-training, but variety helps prevent boredom.

9. Get the support of others.
Exercise with your family, spouse, friend or neighbor. Consider joining a group (running, cycling, or aerobic class). You'll be more likely to continue with a routine, if you have a support group or someone to hold you accountable.

10. Do not worry if you miss a session or two, but keep going.
Okay, so you missed a morning or two of exercise, or maybe you blew your diet. Don't use that as an excuse to quit, and don't wait for another time to start. Each day is another chance to start anew.

So what are you waiting for? Time to get fit!

Note: The statistics in this article came from "Getting Fit: Tips to Help" by John Acquaviva, Ph.D. This article appeared in the January 2002 issue of City, a local city guide.

Rachel Keller is a freelance author and homeschooling frugal mom of 5 who enjoys running, cycling, aerobics, strength training, and flexibility exercises. She has participated in many races, earning a collection of medals and trophies. She has both a bachelor of science and a master's degree in education and has been published numerous times. To read more by Rachel Keller, visit her website at Rachel's Writings (http://www.rachelkeller.com).