Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
But in practice, smoking (and drinking for some people) is not something that can be done in moderation. Nicotine, being so highly addictive, makes smoking so habit forming that breathing and lung capacity is affected. It makes it hard to do cardio long enough to see any real benefits if you don't have the lung capacity to do it for more than 10 minutes at a time.
I started going to the gym back when I was a smoker (like 6 years ago), but it was pretty futile. After I quit, the difference was like night and day. The extra stamina makes it so much easier to get results and makes working out more tolerable/enjoyable.
It's funny because when I first quit smoking, I went through some weight gain like a lot of ex-smokers do. I remember my doctor telling at the time not to worry about it because healthy bodies come in a different shapes and sizes and that it is better from a health point of view to be a little overweight than to smoke.
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Funny story. Guy Lafleur was a smoker. Probably a few packs a day. The Canadiens hired a trainer one year to take the players on a difficult run. Most of them weren't thrilled about it. They start off, and Lafleur absolutely tears out of the gates. The trainer tries, unsuccessfully, to keep up. The trainer is gasping for breath, gets back to the Habs dressing room after the run and there's Guy, having a smoke with his feet up on the bench.
I'm almost 7 years on the quit wagon now. It most certainly is a night and day change once you hit about the year mark. I can't imagine how good Lafleur would have been had he not smoked.