Why is it Critical to Stop Smoking

Yes, we all know the reasons and warnings on cigarettes, cancer, poisoning etc. However, for everyone that is a "tomorrow" / "later" / "eventually" decision. For those of us who are trying to work out, get fit loose weight, and get into shape there is a much more critical, and acute problem of smoking that is slowing the progress down.

At this point I am down to 2 - 3 cigarettes per day ( and I am smoking Viscount Sky which has perfirated filters and this cuts my inhalation of the actually cigarette by about half) , however even the light "smokes" are bad for anyone working out or trying to live - here is why.

Cigarettes Produce Carbon Monoxide - -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide
a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas which is lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities,


Here is why: Carboxyhemoglobin formation -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboxyhemoglobin
Otherwise it can be called CO, Carbon monoxide poisoning. Why is it a poisoning? Because Carbon monoxide binds very tightly to your red blood cell hemoglobin - the bind between Carbon Monoxide and hemoglobin is around 250 times tighter than that between Oxygen and Hemoglobin. This in turn prevents your body from getting the oxygen it needs to operate.


"Normally a person should have between 0 and 8 parts CO per million but a smoker can have at least 20 parts per million which is unhealthy although once a person quits smoking the carbon monoxide level in their body will return to normal after 24 hours. "


A good example would be having a bus, lets say its a bus that must take workers to their office and then take them home ( the bus is your red blood cells  and the workers going to work is oxygen and workers going home is carbon dioxide which your body generates as it operates ). Here is a catch, Carbon Monoxide from cigarettes is like having a hooligan on the bus who is going for a joy ride, he wont get off to go to the office, but he is big and loud and aggressive enough, that he takes up the valuable space on the bus and wont let the workers on so the can get to and from work.


Here is the catch, once the bully ( carbon monoxide ) -- will ride your blood bus for 4 to 6 hours before half of the bullies get bored and leave, the rest of the hooligans will hang on the bus for another 4 hours. Therefore, if you have a smoke at noon, only by 4PM half of the Carbon Monoxide will detach from your blood, and only by 8pm will your body be clean of the Carbon Monoxide. During this time, your blood is not able to deliver oxygen as efficiently as a percentage of your blood cells are carrying around Carbon Monoxide instead of Oxygen. 


This CO hemoglobin blood bonding, is an acute and direct impact on your body's performance. Simply not having that cigarette will benefit your health.

more info here:
http://www.health.com/health/library/mdp/0,,zm2553,00.html
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/PHA/rotarybeach/rot_p1.html
https://hvelink.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/library/healthguide/en-us/support/topic.asp?hwid=zm2552