Without a doubt, physical exercise is important for each and every person on this planet. Unfortunately, some people don’t receive all the benefits of every workout, and may even incur some unwanted side effects. When this happens, it’s usually because of a chosen lifestyle that inhibits the body’s ability to function properly. For example, a lot of smokers believe that exercise can cancel out the negative effects of their habit. This is simply not true.
Everyone knows by now that smoking is dangerous; it causes numerous health complications and even death. Cigarettes affect the body in the exact opposite way that exercise does. All of the hard work you do during a workout is negated by the poisonous chemicals in a cigarette. Besides that, even a mild smoker prevents their organs from performing in top condition and then demands that those same organs support their body during an intense workout.
Smoking is bad but it most especially doesn’t mix well with exercise. It increases the risk of injury and decreases the body’s ability to recover quickly and completely.
Here are some of the ways that smoking can effect your exercise routine:
Lower endurance levels and fatigue will affect the quality and duration of your exercise.
Higher blood pressure and increased heart rate are a result of the heart having to work too hard during exercise. Smokers reach this cardiac-wall much sooner than non-smokers.
Shallow, rapid breathing is caused by swelling of the mucous membranes and tar coating the lungs.
Decreased oxygen negatively affects the entire body but during exercise it can be devastating to the muscles.
The solution: Do whatever you can to quit smoking, and until you do, consider keeping your workout mild. Don’t stop working out altogether, that will cause problems of its own.
Also Read:
Smoking and Obesity are Equally Fatal
Simple Steps to Make Habit Changes Easier