We’ve already had one glimpse of summer this year, and more sunny days are on the horizon. So, it’s time to hit the gym if you want that perfect beach bod in time for any holidays you have planned.
However, if you smoke, getting those rippling abs may be even harder than usual. Here’s why:
Your heart’s not in it
When you smoke, it only takes 10 seconds for the nicotine to enter your bloodstream – along with all the other thousands of chemicals, of course.
The result? Your blood is thickened. Plus, the arteries and blood vessels throughout your body are temporarily narrowed by this chemical, meaning it’s harder for blood to move around the body.
This is a problem because, when exercising, blood plays a key role in transporting oxygen around the body to feed the working muscles and tissues, and also transporting carbon dioxide back to the lungs so we can expel it.
If the blood is thicker and the vessels are narrower than usual, this whole process is hindered, your muscles won’t get the energy they need and you could struggle with your endurance.
Not only that, but these two factors combines can increase your heart rate (a result of the nicotine increasing the release of adrenaline into the body), which could increase your risk of passing out while exercising or, in extreme cases, suffering a stroke or heart attack.
Take your breath away
Smoking is detrimental to your lung health; in fact, one third of all deaths from respiratory disorders are directly attributable to smoking.
It may take some time for smoking to cause such severe health issues, but it has the power to affect the health of your lungs enough to impact on your sporting abilities much quicker.
Taking in plenty of oxygen is essential when exercising, and to do this, your lungs need to be working well.
However, smoking causes tar to build up in your lungs, making them less elastic and causing congestion, which means you can’t take as much oxygen in as a non-smoker.
So, if you want to up your game and work harder, try quitting – just 72 hours without a cigarette can ease your breathing and clear mucus from your lungs.
A weight off your mind
This is all well and good, but if you’re a smoker, you may not be worried about your weight – after all, it’s quite common for smokers to keep weight off more easily than non-smokers.
However, the reasons behind this aren’t necessarily good for your overall health.
The chemicals and toxins in cigarettes not only increase your adrenalin, but your metabolic rate too, which can reduce your appetite. Great for your waistline, maybe, but not ideal for your calorific or nutrients intake.
There is a chance that when you quit smoking, you may put on a small amount of weight. But if you’re doing regular exercise and eating properly, you should be able to negate this – and, along with the other physical benefits quitting smoking brings, your summer body will be both achievable and healthy.
Get fit and quit
For information and advice on quitting smoking, visit changeincorporated.com today.
Advertisement paid for by Change Incorporated (VICE) for its Quit Cigarettes initiative. Philip Morris International funds this initiative but has no editorial input, so may not share the views expressed.
