Cigarettes and Cardio?

Glenno33

Yea I know but even going to the pub I wouldn't take them,family doesn t know ,only at home.i guess I am embarrassed but alone it's like a free ticket. Something ill get my head around

Glenno33

Did you lose heaps of weight too.?what ever your doing you're doing a great job cheers

x2greenxeyes

I was a smoker from 19 until 22. It took me about two years on and off to quit. I actually used to work out more when I was 19 than I did when I was 23. In fact, I used to enjoy an after work out cigarette. As I got older however, I noticed that the smoking started to affect my cardio and work out. It seemed if I kept up with it I would be okay, but if I went 2 + weeks without running it would definitely pose a problem. What helped me to quit was just doing it in little bits. Maybe this isn't right for everyone, but I wanted my cardio to be better so I started to try to quit. On and off on and off. What I found was the best:

Limiting myself to 4 cigarettes a day and making sure I didn't habitually do it (such as after I ate or at certain times of the day). I used to enjoy a cigarette and coffee, listening to music, talking on the phone, hanging with friends or driving while I smoked. So I told myself I could only have those 4 cigarettes if I didn't do any of those things. After a while, I broke the habit and with the added cardio goals it became easier to quit. My first year I probably had a cigarette every 4 months when my friends would go to the cigar shop to hang out. Then my second year it was almost gross to me to have a cigarette. Now I don't have any cravings what so ever like I used to.

GiddyupTim

I jogged and played soccer twice a week and smoked for 20 years. I do not recommend it. But, I wasn't able to quit. And, i still think I was much better off exercising than not exercising.
I believe that regular running when you smoke cuts your lung cancer risk fairly dramatically.

CiaLater86

I had actually quit smoking a year prior to my new fitness "journey" i woke up everymorning feeling enthusiastic and then fullfilled knowing I completed my morning work out to the best of my capabilities. I started smoking again 2 months ago (i have no idea why) but i cant go for aslong with out getting dizzy and light headed. and then i hack up a lung afterwords. but i still look forward to my post workout smoke!

GiddyupTim

I finally quit, with Chantix! Yay!

But before that: I smoked daily since i was 13 years old. About a year or two later, I quit playing soccer, probably because I had started smoking. I remember there was a playoff game. I was a critical member of the midfield. The night before, I had been out smoking. That day, I could not run, not like I normally did. We lost. My coach was pissed. He kept me after the game and made me run the circumference of the field a bunch of times -- and the season was over once we lost! He was that disappointed in me.

Fast forward to age 20 years. I needed a physical outlet and I started running. As a smoker, i was pathetic at first. I could run half a block -- maybe. But even though smoking seriously impairs your cardio ability, you can build it up. It just takes longer and it is probably harder.

I was determined. I built mine up. Slowly, I went from half a block, run every day, to a block every day, after about two weeks. Finally, to a mile and then longer.

By the time I was 26 years I was running four days a week -- 6-7 miles runs and hills and working to get faster and better. About age 30 years I began playing soccer again.

Soccer players like to say that you can drink and still play soccer. But, you cannot smoke and still play soccer. That is only half true. There is no question it impairs you. But, you can still play if you work hard to maintain you wind, by playing regularly or whatever. By the time I returned to playing, I stopped smoking on the day I had a game, before the game. Same with running. I held off from smoking until after I took my run.

It was hard. But it was better than running after smoking!

When I finally quit, running probably became easier, but I am not even sure I can actually say that. I might have built my capacity to the point that it did not make a difference.

Hellbent_Heidi

I finally quit, with Chantix! Yay!

:drinker: Way to go...Congratulations!

JCLondonUK

I smoked 20 a day for 30 years, before switching to e-cigs about 18 months ago. I still grab the e-cig the minute I leave the gym.

I didn't think that smoking affected me when I smoked, but now I can tell how much it actually did. Cardio is soooo much easier now!

For those curious about e-cigs, don't buy the ones from the newsagent that look like cigarettes. They really are horrible! And they are rip-off prices too. Do your research and find a decent brand online in your country. I had no intention of giving up smoking, but the e-cig tasted so much better (and was so much cheaper) I switched immediately and painlessly. They're a great invention!

Annesoucy1957

Having stopped smoking previously and started over for no good reason, I saw a difference, major one in my case. In the process of quitting again, limiting to one cigarette after each meal but I am finding that I am maintaining my nicotine craving that way, just bought the Thrive 1mg mints and will try that.