Can smokers maintain a good exercise program? How many cigarettes a day would you have to smoke to be not able to do much but walk? So is there a kind of range here, heavy smokers to those that smoke that 2 or 3 a day they just can’t give up? I have no data on this, friends, examples…
I didn’t need to exercise until I quit smoking! 
Unless you have a condition, like emphasema, smoking isn’t going to slow you down. I used to smoke a pack-and-a-half to two packs a day and I was working out, rollerblading, windsurfing, etc. etc.
As mentioned above, when I quit smoking, I started eating more (cigs are a fairly effective appetite suppressant). After 3 years, I am finally back to my college weight (175, down from 205 at 6’1").
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Can’t speak for all smokers, of course, but I run 5 miles a day in 40 minutes and still smoke 18 cigs/day (15 Marlboro Mediums and 3 Camel straights). I’ve been doing this religiously for 4 1/2 years. I’m 44 years old. I never kid myself that the smoking is doing my health any good, but I did get my Cardiologist to (grudgingly) admit that the aeorbic exercise will (somewhat) mitigate the damage from the smoking.
Reality is for people who can’t handle drugs.
-Tom Waits
Smoking religiously or running religiously?
Running for 4+, smoking for 30+. Of course, for 26 of those smoking years, my intake was much higher (3-3 1/2 packs, or 60-70, regular Marlboros per day). I’m not advocating this, mind you, just stating the facts.
Reality is for people who can’t handle drugs.
-Tom Waits
Sunbear:
I exercise every day.
Then I have a cup of coffee and a cigarette.
Then I have another cup of coffee and another cigarette.
Then I dash off to class.
I do not, however, run. I have never been real big on running unless someone is chasing me. The only form of aerobic exercise I get is if I go out dancing. As a rule, if I have to take a break while I’m dancing, it’s the DJ’s fault.
I don’t smoke but I am out of shape. Running seems to be too much for my out of shape muscles. I would prefer to bicycle, but now I walk around a track while my son is in a class at the Y.
Running, if done in a fanatic way, is not for everybody. Creates its own problems.
I’m a smoker; was up to almost 2 packs when I quit 17 years ago when going up a flight of stairs had me out of breath; took it up again 4 years ago; during the week I was smoking about half a pack (can’t smoke in office and went outside for a 2 or 3); when my doctor asked me about smoking I told him. He told me to exercise. Girlfriend got me interested in jazzercise – dance aerobics. First time I went, thought I was going to die. Nobody (not even the instructor) told me to start out easy and just march in place if it got to be too hard on me. Anyway, that was 3 years ago, and now I’ve cut way back on the smoking and I can do the aerobics at low-impact (no hopping or jumping). I go all day without smoking during the week, but use nicotine gum to get thru the day. Jazzercise 3X a week; after I get in from that around 8 pm, I get a glass of wine and light up. God, it tastes good! So, yes, exercise, but start out slowly, and listen to your body - if you get out of breath of very tired, slow down. And you know that saying “no pain-no gain”? That’s b.s. if you’re in pain, stop. Your body’s trying to tell you something.
I seem to know several people who hang on to smoking with just a few cigarettes a day. I’m sort of at the same point with caffeine.I couldn’t give it up completely, got headaches.
So we’ve pretty much covered this, I guess,thanks all.