Im just wondering how much this will actually be affecting me.Im a keen sportsman and i regard myself as being very fit,however im a smoker and although i know its not good for my c.v i was wondering actually how many steps im causing myself to miss out on whilst running

no way to calculate how many steps you miss out on or anything like that. But if you want to be healthy and fit, stop smoking, it's as simple as that.

Well yeah thats the obvious answer,although if its affecting my fitness by a large amount then itl be all the more reason to kick the habit

Yes it will affect your fitness. Coming form a former smoker myself it does. Also when you smoke you heal slower. Your body has to fight the toxins vrs building what you want properly.

hey there- i started going to the gym on a regualr basis while i was still a smoker- and let me tell you, i cant believe how much it slowed me down! i quit 2 months after i started going, because i litterally could not breathe! the difference after only 2 months after quitting was incredible! i could never do the things i do now if i was still smoking- i highly doubt i would have lost as much weight, feel as physically fit, and be able to keep up with my new, healthy lifestyle if i were still smoking- i hope you quit, and quit for good- if you think you are fit now, wait until you quit smoking! trust me on this one- i never thought i would be able to quit- and most of my motivation for quitting and getting in shape was realizing the things i am now able to do being smoke free- good luck to you, and i hope you succeed!

-Lisa

Cigarettes should be illegal. Smoking is the most harmful thing you can do to your body. Quit now before you end up with an iron lung.

I agree.

If you knew what your lungs looked like, and what you are doing to your body every time you smoke a cigarette, you'd be grossed out.

I don't know, quantitatively, how much smoking will affect your running, but here is a calculator to determine how much smoking will affect your lifespan. 1 cigarette = 11 minutes of longevity. And if you really want to get shocked, speak to a cardiothoracic surgeon about the effects of smoking on the cv system.

Smoker's life span - Yahoo! Health

I agree with Kraken that cigs should be outlawed because smoking not only hurts the smoker's wellbeing, secondhand smoke hurts nonsmokers as well and it taxes the government medical system by causing disproportionate medical expenses.

Here is some information for you to take time to read:


Smoker's Lung Pathology Photo Essay by MedicineNet.com

This is your normal lung:




This is your lung on "smokes":





Best wishes,


Chillen

Chillen, those pictures speak a thousand words.

Keep a diary with things that you do in the gym or when you are running for a couple of months, loging down time, progress, the way you feel etc. Then do the same for a couple of months without smoking and then compare the two logs. You will be surprised.

Nice pics Chill

Yeah, now post your legs

^^^^^^^^^lol

LOL ^^^

ALL of my close mates smoke full time, im the odd one out. Although i still smoke once a week (when drinking etc) but my mate who iv been running with lately, he's a full time smoker and i was noticing how much better i am at running the distance and my finishing and everything. Also i have been improving much faster than him.