Anyone work out and smoke?

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2

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  • D4LB
    D4LB Posts: 601 Member
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    Can I ask why you can't smoke and workout? Not that I'm proud of it been smoking and workingout over 15 Years now... smoking doesn't effect muscle growth?
  • sullycc
    sullycc Posts: 37 Member
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    I got to the point that I just didn't want to smoke anymore. My own habit disgusted me. Then it was a case of mind over matter! How can a 10cm paper stick have more control over you than you over it.

    Get in the right mind set and it will happen. You have to want to quit.

    Good luck, it's hard, but worth it :smile:
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    k9education wrote: »
    I have never seen the point in working out at all if you are a smoker. The two simply don't mix.

    FWIW, I quit 8.5 years ago at the same time that I started my health and fitness journey.

    It does mix. One has nothing to do with the other except it's a bit easier without smoking I guess. I ran as a smoker, quit for a few months and still ran, took up smoking again for my own reasons and still run. I honestly didn't notice a difference between working out as a smoker and as a former smoker, possibly because I gained weight when I quit so it may have canceled out any "ease" I was supposed to feel.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
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    sullycc wrote: »
    I got to the point that I just didn't want to smoke anymore. My own habit disgusted me. Then it was a case of mind over matter! How can a 10cm paper stick have more control over you than you over it.

    Get in the right mind set and it will happen. You have to want to quit.

    Good luck, it's hard, but worth it :smile:

    What I have bolded above is exactly the mindset that helped me to quit. There was no way in the world I was going to let that cigarette be stronger than I was anymore. I was actually quite ashamed of myself the day I had my last one. Sitting outside at my FIL's funeral with the rest of the smokers, while my MIL sat inside by herself. I had my last smoke on the way home after laying him to rest. Hubby still smokes two packs a day tho, so the shame was mine alone..lol.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    You know as well as I do that you should quit. We also both know that I should quit, but *kitten* that noise. I'll stop smoking again when I decided to quit being lazy and get a new RDA. I hadn't smoked in years, and then some chucklefuck knocked my vaporizor off of the bumper of my truck at work, and proceeded to back over it.
  • RejsGirl
    RejsGirl Posts: 198 Member
    edited November 2016
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    I smoked 1-2 packs a day for almost 20 years, but I was also morbidly obese. My advice to you would be to stop smoking. I know much easier said than done. The level of fitness you receive by working out, can be quickly negated by smoking.

    You're working out to be fit, healthier and live longer (I would assume) but you're smoking, tempting fate knowing it can cause all types of problems? Seems like a waste of time. Either smoke and accept what could be or workout to be healthy, you can't have it both ways. Sure you can work out and look "fit", but you're still smoking and that does not equal being healthy - not to mention, you smell like a cigarette. That certainly doesn't give the impression of being fit or healthy. The definition of "fitness" is "the condition of being physically fit and healthy". You're going to have to "suck it up and quit asap."

    I read your post that said it's a relaxation thing and it's social, etc. I would suggest finding anything other than cigarettes (or any drug that can make you sick) or food to help you relax. working out, exercising, taking a walk, all can help with relaxation and stress management. I am currently watching my 73 year old mother, a smoker since the age of about 14, suffer from all types of maladies related to smoking. About the only thing she doesn't have is lung cancer at this point. I sincerely 100% do not ever want to suffer from lack of oxygen...that does not sound fun to me AT ALL.

    You obviously care about yourself, take care of yourself in all ways, not just on what everyone can see. I wish you lots of luck in quitting!!
  • Misssynth
    Misssynth Posts: 179 Member
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    I'm an ex smoker, smoked for around 8 years. I could never push myself even close to how I do now. Honestly giving up smoking is the best thing I've ever done.
    Personally, i don't even see the point in trying to improve your health in other ways if you're smoking, its so counter productive.
    I quit using a vape, but I don't use those either now. I don't want to be putting chemicals I don't need in my body any more than I already do. If you really want to quit, you'll quit. But if you don't and you feel you HAVE to then you'll fail, and you'll also be wasting a hell of a lot of money on a personal trainer
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,197 MFP Moderator
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    I'm an occasional smoker and a long(ish) distance runner. There's no reason why you can't do both. There are definitely lots of reasons to quit smoking, but being a smoker doesn't mean you can't work on other aspects of your health.
  • Kamperd
    Kamperd Posts: 10 Member
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    My advice is stop smoking and continue your work out. In order to achieve your goals you should change your lifestyle and the first thing to do that is quit smoking or if you can't try to minimize it until such time that you can leave it. Good luck.
  • deapeasea
    deapeasea Posts: 1 Member
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    I used to love smoking after a run. Sounds crazy but it was my favourite time to smoke.

    Glad I'm off them now. I hope you can be too, Tanny.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    As long as you don't do both at the same time!
    Seriously- I stopped smoking 15 years ago (and to all those saying ,just quit,let me tell you it's not that easy) What smoking does is deplete your oxygen levels so if you stop or at least cut down, you'll probably find you can do more. It actually only takes hours for carbon monoxide levels to go down after a cigarette so maybe don't smoke before you exercise/workout?
    I did start vaping a couple of years ago (stupidly,as I'd already quit smoking years before and I'm now hooked on vaping) I actually find it has almost the same effect on my breathing plus it still contains nicotine so raises your heart rate.
  • dancing_daisy
    dancing_daisy Posts: 162 Member
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    Smoker for 15 years, currently in cycle of on/off smoking whilst trying to quit. I notice my cardio is harder work when I have been smoking but my weight lifting is unaffected. My balancing poses in yoga and holding poses like planks seems shaker when I've been smoking too.
    I hope this is helpful, I find it really unhelpful when people just advise you to quit.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    dancing_daisy wrote: »
    Smoker for 15 years, currently in cycle of on/off smoking whilst trying to quit. I notice my cardio is harder work when I have been smoking but my weight lifting is unaffected. My balancing poses in yoga and holding poses like planks seems shaker when I've been smoking too.
    I hope this is helpful, I find it really unhelpful when people just advise you to quit.

    What causes this shaking? It happens when I'm planking but never any other time!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    k9education wrote: »
    I have never seen the point in working out at all if you are a smoker. The two simply don't mix.

    FWIW, I quit 8.5 years ago at the same time that I started my health and fitness journey.

    - um the two aren't necessarily related- plenty of top level runners are smokers- you're going to tell them to quit running because they smoke? That's absurd.


    I smoke hookah.

    I am a professional bellydancer and that means I spend about 3/4 of my gig night in the back... so if I'm working- frequently I am smoking while I do nothing.

    I do not smoke at home. I do not smoke cigarettes (like it matters that much what you smoke). So I consider myself a social smoker- so 3 times a month maybe?

    I haven't found it to impact my cardio at all- I know I shouldn't smoke- but quite frankly I don't care. #judgemeifyouwant

    I tend to consider social smoking different to those who are full time smokers and addicted. I would encourage people who are addicted to work on that- social smoking- well that's simply a choice you make- "do I want to make a bad decision tonight or not" vs someone who HAS to smoke all the time.

    Right or wrong in my head those aren't the same things.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    You will smell better if you quit
  • vikinglander
    vikinglander Posts: 1,547 Member
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    I was a pack+/day smoker up until this past September. I used Chantix and a device called QuitKey. During the week that I was ramping up the dosage of Chantix, I was tracking all of my normal smoking on the QuitKey. Beginning on Day 8, on a full dose of Chantix, the QuitKey began telling ME when to smoke, and gave me 27 days to wean off the cigarettes. I only stumbled about three times, that is, I smoked before the device told me to, which caused it to repeat a day; so it took me 30 days to get down to my last cigarette.

    I highly recommend this protocol. I never thought I would be able to do it, but I am so glad I did.
  • Fatguy2Fitguy
    Fatguy2Fitguy Posts: 129 Member
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    I won't state the obvious... you know what's better!

    But... while you try giving up... You can work out fine and smoke, I played rugby as smoker for years. But as others have said, you will feel the difference after quitting and how much further/faster etc you can go.

    Good luck though, you've done brilliantly so far, which shows that you are strong in mind which will help if you're giving up!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited November 2016
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    k9education wrote: »
    I have never seen the point in working out at all if you are a smoker. The two simply don't mix.

    FWIW, I quit 8.5 years ago at the same time that I started my health and fitness journey.

    That's a pretty short sited and very narrow point of view...

    I'm a reformed cigarette smoker...I was much better off working out as a smoker than I was as a sedentary smoker...of course, I'm much better off now as a non-smoker, but telling someone they shouldn't workout just because they smoke and that there would be no benefit is ignorant.

    I still smoke the occasional cigar...maybe I should just quit riding 1/2 centuries and kicking *kitten* on my time trial races because I enjoy a cigar now and then...

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You can improve your fitness if you work out while still smoking, but you won't achieve the level you would as a nonsmoker.

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