How badly does smoking affect fitness?

[NineinchNails2010]

I mean im getting ready to undergo Army training (23rd of June yay)

And all i smoke is like 2 Bn H silver a day so is and do a lot of training. I was just wondering cause u hear all these horror stories like smoke on and be diagnosed with cancer lol

So could anybody tell me how drastic to light ciggies are do to my fitness?

Cheers :original:

[Ahlerich]

i dont know what bn h is..but 3 cigs a day can be "Absorbed" by your longues
a friend of mine plays soccer and he smokes for 20 years and still can run for an hour no problem..

i guess basically its: smoke more - train more

but since you are in the army and paid for beiing shot at stop smoking for health reasons would be pathetic lol
thats like saving gas in a nascar race

[Emperor Dimitricus]

mate dont worry. im about to undergo army training as well. i smoke 20 b n h (benson and hedges) a day but im very fit. alot of soldiers smoke heavily themselves anyway.
which army are you joining?

[Rhah]

I just gave up smoking after 12 years, been 3 weeks (actually not as hard as i thought it would be)

anyway, i can tell you that i feel a lot better for it. I sleep better, my breathing and circulation is better, and i have a lot more energy

So i'd say that you'd be better off not smoking, but 2 cigarettes a day wont make much difference. Best advice is to give up now before you end up smoking 20 a day (which most likely will happen)

[Halie Satanus]

i used to be super fit,but smoking 30odd bnh gold a day since i was cough cough has taken its toll,i didnt start to notice untill i was in my thirties and now wish i gave up years ago,as your only smoking a couple of low tar silvers a day you should quit before you get hooked ,best of luck in the army though,my old man served his twenty odd years and says he would'nt change a thing.

("durin tha wuwah")

[Yorkshireman]

When I was in the forces I was surprised by how many men smoked, it did'nt seem to effect them much probably due to the amount of physical training we did. I did'nt smoke then but I do now and although I'm pyhsically strong if I have to run for a bus my lungs nearly come out of my mouth! If I was you I would try and give up whilst you can, in the long run it's only going to damage your fitness and thats a fact. I could'nt even dare to imagine coughing my way through basic training now.

Satanus- Yes, I can remember the days when I was fit, if I had to run a few miles now somebody better follow me with a wheelchair!

[Spiff]

Its funny how i only feel like somking after like 3 pints.

Anyway

from the Wiki

Diseases linked to smoking tobacco cigarettes include:

* lung cancer and other cancers
* stroke
* peripheral vascular disease
* birth defects of pregnant smokers' offspring
* Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
* impotence
* chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis in particular
* More likely to develop cataracts that may cause blindness

fortunetly the article mentions nothing about fitness, so at least youll be a fit, cancerous, peripheral vascular disease, Buerger's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis suffering impotent and partialy blind soldier!

[Halie Satanus]

Its funny how i only feel like somking after like 3 pints.

Anyway

from the Wiki



fortunetly the article mentions nothing about fitness, so at least youll be a fit, cancerous, peripheral vascular disease, Buerger's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis suffering impotent and partialy blind soldier!

you forgot to mention that he'll look cool to girls in the pub though

[Yorkshireman]

Smoking definately reduces the lungs capacity to breathe so its obviously not the greatest training aid for any kind of cardio-vascular activity, which you'll be doing alot of in the Army.

[The Fish]

I work in the cardiology department at the UCLA hospital. I can tell you from personal experience working here: in 30 years, if you want to avoid having your legs cut open to insert tubes into your heart to look at your coronary arteries, STOP SMOKING!

[Ahlerich]

when i stopped smoking it tortured me to not have the breakfast smoke with cafe, the smoke after eating and the smokes while getting ********d and the smoke after sex. i was acually past the cravings (3 weeks) when i decided that i like to smoke and miss too much by not smoking.
i understand that this sounds very weird to a non smoker but you can smoke to enjoy..its not only satisfying the cravings.
now that i live in canada and smoking is forbidden in abrs and pubs it is very hard to enjoy a smoke outside at -40 lol
but im no quitter! i continue

[Spiff]

you forgot to mention that he'll look cool to girls in the pub though

Well that's a given! :laughing:

[NineinchNails2010]

WOW, thanx for all the replies guys.

Look im only smoking a couple of lights a day im hardly gonna die from that. And it train a *lot* so i reckon your right ill be fine.

oh btw Ahlerich im going in for the british infantry (best in the world What are u joining mate?

[Yorkshireman]

Look the soldier in the middle is smoking and it seems to have prematurely aged him, so be warned!

[Erik]

As a professional sports coach I can tell you that smoking is terrible for your fitness, even a few cigarettes a day wil significantly reduce your performance.
When athelets stop smoking their performance gets a huge boost, I've seen this many times.

But then your not trying to get into the Olympics, just the army, so if you train I think you can get away with smoking a few cigarettes a day (isn't that what most soldiers do anyways?)

[Emperor Dimitricus]

WOW, thanx for all the replies guys.

Look im only smoking a couple of lights a day im hardly gonna die from that. And it train a *lot* so i reckon your right ill be fine.

oh btw Ahlerich im going in for the british infantry (best in the world What are u joining mate?

it was me who asked what army you were joining. im joining the british army as well, im goin into the royal armoured corps. ill be at winchester still when you start, so if you're doin your basic there, maybe ill see you there.

[NineinchNails2010]

:original: Yeah i see what ya mean i mean im not trying to reach ultimate human fitness lol just wanna make sure m not gonna slip past the basic requirements. Which i doubt i will.

Oh sorry bout mistaking ya mate, Would be good if we were training at the same base but all infantry training is done up north in Catterick so unless we're on the same training exercise we're unlikely to meet.
LOL i bet your tottaly crushed You confident about basic? I m not too worried just nervous about the sudden culture shock im goona get

[RZZZA]

Yeah, I used to do a lot of drugs, and I consider squares and booze to be drugs as well. The reason I never got addicted to any drugs is because I experimented with one principle in mind: moderation. To this day, I'm a regular smoker, but I tend to smoke 1-3 squares a day, and thats it. I've been doing that for years now. I dont get it how people go through packs a day, thats just insane.

I too get that craving in the morning to light up a square, I dont do it with coffee though I do it to...music. But I make sure to take breaks from squares for 1-2 days periodically to keep me from getting too addicted. Thats what I did with all drugs. So while some may be controlled by their drugs and cravings, I try to control them. It works I guess, mind over body.

I can feel the negative affects of smoking after only 1 square, anyone in here would too, if youve never smoked before. After the square you feel like you want to cough something up, but you can't quite do it. Your throat gets all itchy, and youre constantly trying to clear your throat to no avail. Compared to other forms of smoke (and I've tried most of it, from opium to crack) square smoke has to be the harshest for your lungs. I used to be able to smoke blunts and then run in my gym class no problem, but if I were to smoke 5 squares before gym class it would be very tough. The point is that, people who make a decisions to smoke squares are also basically making a decision to say "F health" for the time being.

[GambleFish]

Better safe than sorry...

Especially in the Army... It's gonna be pretty tough if you're smoking while training. Even a couple a day has some serious impact.

Plus the health risks, although lower if you smoke only 2 a day, still exist. I would do some research on the diseases - you'll see some pretty bad stuff.

If you're doing 2 or 3 a day it shouldn't be too hard to quit or really cut back until you're out. Once you're out you might even stop for good which would be much better for you health and your wallet too . Although I guess 2 a day isn't too much money-wise. 20 or 30 a day? That's gonna not only cost you your health but a load of money. Do the math for a year of smoking at that pace - it'll be a pretty big number.

[RZZZA]

"Better safe than sorry..."


IMO, no. Thats no way to live. If you really wanted to be safe you'd be the boy in the plastic bubble. Most everything that is good, everything that people enjoy, is bad for you somehow.