Does Practising Yoga Help in Quitting Tobacco? Here's What an AIIMS Study Found

Quitting tobacco is easier said than done. Whether it's cigarettes, bidis, vaping or smokeless tobacco, nicotine addiction is both physical and psychological. Cravings, stress, anxiety and withdrawal symptoms often make people return to the habit even after deciding to quit. But could something as simple as rolling out a yoga mat make the journey easier?According to a recent study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, the answer may be yes, but with an important caveat. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, the study reviewed existing scientific evidence on yoga as a tobacco cessation tool. Researchers from the Centre for Integrative Medicine and Research and the Centre for Community

Medicine analysed data from seven randomised controlled trials involving 629 participants across India, the United States and Thailand.Read More: Can Myopia Be Slowed Down? Experts Reveal the Early Warning Signs and Best TreatmentsThe findings were encouraging. People who practised yoga had about 50 per cent higher odds of quitting tobacco in the short term than those who received standard care or non-yoga interventions. However, this does not mean yoga alone helps half of all tobacco users quit. Instead, it means the likelihood of successfully quitting was significantly higher among participants who incorporated yoga into their cessation efforts.

So, What Makes Yoga Helpful?

Experts and health researchers believe that yoga as a practice that helps in addressing come of the biggest challenges that people face while they are trying to quit tobacco. Nicotine withdrawl is often accompanied with anxiety, irritability, intense cravings and low mood. Yoga, additionally when combines with breathing exercuses and meditation, has long been associated to help with reduction of stress and also improving the levels of emotional regulation. The AIIMS study review also found that the participants who were practising yoga experienced lower levels of depression and anxiety and also reported better mental well-being overall. These are some of the factors that help reduce the chances of nicotine relapse. The AIIMS review also included different forms of yoga like Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and pranayama, aka, breathing practices. While the researchers did not exclusively claim that one style was any superior to another, they did find that yoga interventions as a whole offer a number of behavioural and psychological benefits alongside the conventional treatment. That being said, doctors have also cleared out that yoga singlehandedly should not be seen as a replacement for evidence-based tobacco cessation methods. There is nicotine replacement therapy, along with prescription medications, behavioural counselling and even support groups that remain the gold standard for treating and curbing tobacco dependence. Instead, yoga appears to work best as a complementary therapy that strengthens a person's ability to cope with cravings, and manage stress, all while staying committed to quitting.

For anyone who is trying or even considering on giving up tobacco, this message is a helpful one. There is no single magic solution to nicotine addiction, but the only best way out is to combine medical support wit healthy lifestyle habits and this may end up improving the chances of success. Adding even 20 to 30 minutes of yoga to your daily routine can benefit your flexibility or fitness goals, but also, along with all this, it helps build your mental resilience during one of the most challenging lifestyle changes a person can take. While more long-term research is still needed, the latest AIIMS findings suggest that yoga may be a valuable ally in the fight against tobacco addiction, helping people breathe a little easier in more ways than one.Read More: These Subtle Changes in Your Hands and Eyes May Signal Liver Damage