The adverse health consequences that come with cigarette smoking on an individual’s lung and heart health are well-documented. Smokers are known to develop cancer and emphysema, and suffer from cardiovascular diseases later in life, leading to more than 480,000 smoking-related deaths annually in the US alone. For female smokers in particular, the unwanted effects are heightened when we consider the pregnancy risks reported by the NIH. Smoking during pregnancy is linked to low birth weight and increased risks of stillbirth and miscarriage.
But the lesser-known effects of smoking can also be immediate, including diminished physical endurance and exercise performance. In this article, we’ll look closely into how smoking can negatively impact your ability to exercise and stay fit.
Smoking’s effects on the heart, lungs, and muscles
When engaging in any type of physical exercise, your body uses more oxygen and produces more carbon dioxide. Your heart and lungs must then work harder to cope with this increased demand, allowing you to maintain your energy and not feel short of breath throughout your workout.
But inhaling thousands of toxic chemicals, including carbon monoxide, binds these to your red blood cells and narrows your arteries. Meanwhile, tar — also found in cigarettes — coats your lungs and decreases their function and capacity.
How does this affect how you exercise, then? Narrow arteries and reduced lung function restrict the blood flow and oxygen supply to your muscles and other body tissues. The low oxygen levels, in turn, cause a build-up of lactic acid, making your muscles feel increasingly sore and fatigued during and after exercise.
In a seminal research published in the Preventive Medicine journal, 3,045 Navy personnel were examined to study the association between smoking and physical fitness. It was found that despite being relatively young and fit, those who smoked had lower levels of physical endurance for the cardiovascular system during a 1.5-mile run and the muscular system during sit-ups. This means that smoking can and will affect your exercise levels and performance regardless of age.
Ways to boost physical fitness and endurance
In recognition of smoking’s effect on blood flow, lung capacity, and muscular strength, it is clear that smoking cessation can positively impact one’s physical fitness, endurance, and overall health. A previous article on ‘World No Tobacco Day’ highlights the best ways to help you quit smoking. It starts with knowing your usual triggers and associations with smoking, then changing your routine to disrupt the urge or swapping it with healthier habits like drinking water.
Aside from holding yourself accountable — maybe with the help of a quit buddy — it helps to prepare for possible withdrawal symptoms like nicotine cravings. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products that help curb cravings can be medically prescribed or bought over the counter and online.
Transdermal patches like Nicoderm can provide a steady nicotine delivery, but since they need to be replaced daily, you have to schedule it around your workout routine. It is also best to find an NRT that allows you to easily adjust the nicotine levels. The tobacco-free nicotine pouches on Prilla have varying nicotine strength levels, from 2mg to 15mg, which you can adjust depending on the progress of your smoking cessation. For those beginning their cessation journey, it is recommended to go for stronger pouches like 8mg, then gradually decrease the strength level to better deal with withdrawal symptoms.
Another lifestyle change that you can easily undertake is increasing your sunlight exposure. As a Nature article linking vitamin D with physical fitness indicates, exercising outdoors can positively influence your fitness and performance, with the highest positive changes observed during the spring and autumn seasons. Exercising outside will help change your routine and give you a daily dose of vitamin D for improved bone strength and growth, immune regulation, and overall health.
As you go through these steps to improve your physical fitness, remember that even small changes matter and count as progress! Gaining support and motivation from family and friends can go a long way in your cessation and fitness journey.
