At first I'd think that today's blog entry barely even needs to be written. But yet just the other day I saw a man come out of my gym after attempting to workout, get into his car, and light up a cigarette. This is far from the first time I've seen this same course of events. It's always different people too, since this is probably one of a very few trips to the gym these folks make each year.It was clear inside the gym this man was not putting much into his workout. But it became even more clear when I saw him escape to his car and have to light up before he even got out of the parking lot.
I don't think it's really necessary to get into the health risks of smoking. As I write this, the father of two very close friends of mine is gravely ill from lung cancer. He's been a lifetime smoker. It's very sad to give up many wonderful years with your grandchildren because of a smoking habit.
What I do think is worth saying, is that exercise is a great substitute for smoking. It's also a way to motivate yourself to quit entirely. Along the same line, smoking is a great way to destroy your motivation to exercise. It can become discouraging when you have to pause the treadmill so you can complete a two minute coughing episode.
I'm very happy that as of Feb 1, 2008 Maryland passed the no-smoking law for restaurants and bars. Now I can finally enjoy smoke-free outings. It's terrible having the stench of cigarettes permeating your clothing and hair, but what's worse is the damage that secondhand smoke is doing to your lungs. No more smoke stung eyes in restaurants or bars in my home state. Finally a good legislative decision here in Maryland.
I don't want to sound judgmental. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being an ex-smoker. The problem is being a current smoker, especially in light of the wealth of evidence about the vast risks to your body. But I suppose it's your body, you can destroy it if you so chose. But please don't subject others to it. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to not subject others to the same health risks when you smoke inside a confined space where others may be present.
So if you do smoke, don't you think it's time to put your longevity first? Here you are on my fitness site, presumably to learn about exercise and nutrition. But if you still smoke, it's like adding rat poison to your health shake. It not only makes the drink taste bad and nullifies many of the effects, but it's going to discourage you from wanting that healthy drink in the future. That's aside from the fact it's going to kill you.
If you do smoke, resolve to quit right away. Quit for your sake and the sake of the other people around you who choose not to put themselves at high risk for cancer and other serious, life-threatening illnesses. Quit for the sake of your children and grandchildren, even if you don't have any yet. If you do quit and stick to your exercise program, I'd wager you'll feel a huge difference in your body within six months.
