Most of us are acutely aware that smoking is hazardous to our health, but few of us know exactly how it undermines our biological systems. Numerous studies indicate that smoking hampers the physical fitness of even the young and active among us, so let us briefly explore some of the reasons why smoking is such a nemesis for those who are seeking to enhance their well-being.

     After smoking a cigarette, one's heart rate will become elevated, and many will experience irregular heart contractions that can persist from thirty to forty-five minutes. High blood pressure results because smoking causes the arteries to constrict. The net result is that the body's heart, lungs, and blood vessels are so stressed that they are unable to meet the demands of vigorous exercise. The question might arise, "If exercise is as stressful to the body as smoking, what makes the former a healthier choice than the latter?" The simple answer is that, in the long run, exercise will force the body to adapt and become stronger and more efficient: lung capacity increases, blood vessels expand and become more pliable, the heart strengthens and slows. In short, the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes is greatly diminished. On the other hand, smoking provokes the chronic deterioration of the body's critical organs and systems and thereby increases the risk of a complex of lethal physical ailments: various cancers, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis, etc.

     A final point worthy of note is that many regular smokers are reluctant to quit the habit because they fear that they will gain unwanted pounds. Indeed, the nicotine in cigarettes does speed up the body's metabolism and suppress appetite. Moreover, since smoking can dull the taste buds, eating tends to be less enjoyable for smokers than for nonsmokers. However, if smoking is replaced by exercise, such fear is unwarranted, since exercise, like nicotine, stimulates the metabolism and slightly suppresses the appetite. And the added benefit is that food becomes more enjoyable when it is consumed!

Those considering kicking the habit can obtain further motivation from the following:

•   Within 20 minutes (of putting down a cigarette) your blood pressure and pulse read "normal."
• Within 8 hours the oxygen level in the blood normalizes, carbon monoxide levels go down.
• Within 24 hours your risk of heart attack starts to decline.
• Within 2 days you can taste food and smell things better.
• Within 3 days your lung capacity improves to the point where you can actually breathe better.
• Within 3 months your circulation improves and your lung functioning is up by 30 percent.
• Within 9 months your lungs are able to clean themselves again and your risk of infection goes down.
• Within 1 year your heart disease risk is now half that of a typical smoker's.
• Within 5 years your risk of stroke is close to that of a non-smoker.
• Within 10 years your lung cancer death rate is half that of smokers and your risk of other cancers go down as well.
• Within 15 years your heart disease risk is the same as that of a nonsmoker's.