Easy Chicken Tenders Food & Recipes
Food & Recipes

Easy Chicken Tenders

Food & Recipes

Say goodbye to those fatty, fried chicken tenders forever, and replace them with our healthier baked version. The kids will…

More...
7 Ways to Be More Confident in the Bedroom Love & Sex
Love & Sex

7 Ways to Be More Confident in the Bedroom

Love & Sex

A confidence boost in the bedroom means more pleasure and passion for both of you. Here are just a few…

More...
10 Ways to Prevent Obesity Moms
Moms

10 Ways to Prevent Obesity

Moms

It's National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and if it's time for a reality check about the kids, read on.

More...
Emergency! Does Your Child Know What to Do? Moms
Moms

Emergency! Does Your Child Know What to Do?

Moms

Are your kids prepared for life's emergencies, like knowing when to call 911? Learn how to get them ready and…

More...
Relaxation: As Simple as Breathing Horoscopes
Horoscopes

Relaxation: As Simple as Breathing

Horoscopes

Inhale, exhale. The ancient practice of reiki can do wonders for stress levels. Breathing is a big part of it…

More...
Can You Break His Bad Habits? Love & Relationships
Love & Relationships

Can You Break His Bad Habits?

Love & Relationships

From being a slob to eating junk food, everyone has bad habits. But can you break your partner of his?

More...
Hot Summer Workouts Diet & Fitness
Diet & Fitness

Hot Summer Workouts

Diet & Fitness

Keep your cool when it's sweltering outside. Here are some great summer workouts to keep your body moving.

More...
It's in the Cards! New Age
New Age

It's in the Cards!

New Age

Past, present and future – they're all in the cards. Tarot cards, that is. Here are some tips on what…

More...
Slow-Cooked Stuffed Peppers Food & Recipes
Food & Recipes

Slow-Cooked Stuffed Peppers

Food & Recipes

This dynamic dinner is sure to ring your bell. Your hungry loved ones will hardly have a beef with a…

More...
Playing Dress-up? Try These On Love & Relationships
Love & Relationships

Playing Dress-up? Try These On

Love & Relationships

Sometimes role-playing can spice up an otherwise ho-hum sex life. Here are a few ways to make things sexy.

More...

Smokers and Exercise

At first glance, smoking and exercising do not seem to go hand in hand. Smokers are generally not known for their stamina and overall good health. They do, however, put their health in jeopardy if they do not engage in some kind of exercise to offset the health effects of smoking. If you are a smoker, this is probably not what you want to hear. But there is good news; exercise can help to keep your general health in a better state.

{relatedarticles}

One of the main detriments of smoking is the effect it has on a person's heart. Every time nicotine is taken into the body, it releases adrenaline into the smoker's system. What this does is cause an increase in heart rate, eventually weakening the heart long before nature would have deemed it time for the heart's performance to decline.

One of the easiest ways to battle this decline is to put some good, old-fashioned cardio into your workout. Running, jogging or brisk walking would be a good recommendation for those not currently in the best of shape. Inevitably, there will be some discomfort when trying to get in those big gasps of air needed when one is expending large amounts of energy. For those smokers who are already semi-active, basketball, tennis or classic aerobics are the next step up.
By taking part in these activities, you increase your heart's strength, just as exercise strengthens any other muscle of the body. The benefits of this are pretty clear-cut: once your heart is stronger, it will be better able to withstand the increased activity smoking causes. If you currently smoke and often feel tired or exhausted, your heart may to be blame. The sooner it is strengthened, the better.

{relatedarticles}

One of the other major changes exercising will bring to a smoker is the increase in lung health. When a person engages in strenuous activity, the lungs allow for more air to be sucked in, so that more oxygen will be distributed throughout the body. Smoking does cause the lungs to toughen up, sometimes to the point they are no longer able to expand properly to bring in additional air.

Regular exercise will keep the lungs from becoming too damaged from this occurrence. By working out until air is being breathed in at a rapid pace, the lungs will constantly be forced to adapt. Thus, they will never be able to fully be victimized by the tar that can begin to form on the lungs. This ensures your body will always be capable of breathing in and distributing the oxygen necessary for the body to keep a healthy balance.
It goes without saying that no amount of exercise will combat all of the negative effect of smoking. Perhaps the best step you can take is to quit smoking altogether.

{relatedarticles}

The most important part of the equation, however you look at it, is to stick with it! Exercising is never going to be very easy; that's why it's called working out. There will be times it doesn't seem to fit into your schedule or you believe you won't be able to summon the energy needed to commit to a workout. Always remember you will feel 100 times better once you exercise. The hardest part is just getting started.