what to say to this excuse (smoker sees no point in getting exercise)

[SugarBlue27]

My best friend smokes cigarettes a lot. She eats healthy but wont excersize. She doesnt plan on quitting anytime soon and her excuse is that since she's smoking there's really no point to her excersizing....what do I say to this? I'm trying to get her to be my work out buddy but this is always her excuse. Can a person smoke cigarettes and still lead an active lifeystyle? I mean I know it will be harder for her with her lungs and such but people do it right?

[hoodedclawjen]

you can exercise as a smoker. theres a point, you'll get a benefit, you'll just not get as much of a benefit, or the same benefit as a non smoker, cos you're causing damage at the same time as working to get healthy. exercise is still going to affect muscle tone, burn calories, increase heart rate, etc, whether you're a smoker or not. she'll probably cough up a load of crud, but its really very do-able. maybe she just doesn't want to exercise- in which case, i'd probably stop bugging her about it.

[Quinoa]

My best friend smokes cigarettes a lot. She eats healthy but wont excersize. She doesnt plan on quitting anytime soon and her excuse is that since she's smoking there's really no point to her excersizing....what do I say to this?
That there’s really no point to her eating healthy either? /sarcasm

+1 what hoodedclawjen said.

Getting someone to lead an active lifestyle if they do not really want to exercise is difficult.
Getting a smoker to quit if they do not already want to themselves is impossible.

[SugarBlue27]

Yeah I know getting her to quit is pointless because I already tried that when I quit a long time ago...

[shondra]

I would tell her that since she has one habit that is so very unhealthy, she should try to exercise to see if it can possibly reduce some of the damage she is causing with the other bad habit.

[bettalover5000]

I've read that when smoker's get a craving for nicotine, taking a 15-minute walk can help curb those cravings and even help reduce withdrawal symptoms for up to 50 minutes. You could always tell her that in case she wants to maybe try to quit. Best of luck!

[jAded]

I think it's just an excuse. If she really wanted to exercise, she'd just do it.

One of my best friends is a smoker and she's really quite fit. She used to be a rower and surf-lifesaver and we workout together sometimes. It's a shame, cos she'd have much better cardiovascular fitness if she weren't one, but she knows that, so I never say anything to her.

[Moophius]

I've known smokers who ran marathons. I agree that it's an excuse, and frankly, you should stop nagging her. Her body is hers to use, abuse, and dispose of as she sees fit. You just keep making the best choices for you, and she'll either come around, or she won't.

[Kristobel]

I think if your friend doesn't want to exercise it's his/her decision so you can't really argue it because it isn't up to you! However, smokers can still exersice! The two smokers I know best are healthier than everyone else I know because they eat well, don't drink and exercise but they do smoke which isn't so good. I guess that's better than eating badly, drinking a lot and never exercising......

Each to there own and if someone chooses not to it's up to them.
Maybe if your worried bout your friends health you could try to find a form of exersice they prefer? Like swimming or yoga or something. Maybe they just don't see a point in doing cardio when they have crappy lungs from smoking. So perhaps yoga would encourage them to give up after a while!!!

Good luck!!
:o)

[FitChick99]

I also agree with hoodedclawjen. And also, 2 wrongs don't make a right. Just because she is choosing to smoke, doesn't mean she should choose to neglect her body in every way. You can't make someone change before they are ready though.

[Gear Shifter]

My fiance is a smoker, and also a downhill mountain bike racer. So he is very active. He is also trying to quit, though, and has cut back dramatically. He has noticed it's easier for him now that he is smoking less. So it is possible to be very active and smoke. It just sounds like that person is lazy. =p

[dormouse]

Professional athletes used to smoke before they knew it was bad for you.

I am a smoker. I run. As long as you don't do the two things simultaneously or smoke too soon before you run, you'll be fine.

+ cigarettes don't help you become strong. cigarettes don't keep you from being fat. cigarettes don't give you a nice, desirable body. (depending on your friend, any one of these might be effective)

[be_it]

Then ask her why she bothers eating healthy if shes just going to smoke? All it takes is 30 minutes a day to help counteract all that smoke inhalation. And if she starts digging on working out, quitting smoking it easy.

Des

[vigilant20]

I think it's just an excuse. If she really wanted to exercise, she'd just do it.

That's what I was going to say.

[Jason607]

Her being a smoker is all the more reason she needs to excersize.

[Princess78]

I've read that when smoker's get a craving for nicotine, taking a 15-minute walk can help curb those cravings and even help reduce withdrawal symptoms for up to 50 minutes. You could always tell her that in case she wants to maybe try to quit. Best of luck!
This is true and really helped me a lot when I quit smoking.

[reineregina]

I would worry more about her smoking habbit than her lack of exercising.

[Hummusisyummus]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/science/06smokingvital.html

I read somewhere that in terms of mortality not exercising is worse than smoking a pack a day...

Ultimately tho, the person's not gonna quit until they want to.

[beach_gypsy]

She may be making up excuses because she is unable to really work out, at least on a normal level. I quit about 3.5 years ago but back then I could not have been much of a workout buddy to anyone. I'd bet she can't really be a workout buddy to you at all either.

However, it would still be better for her to do something active... on her own level. Maybe walking or being more active in play. So as for her excuse to not get fit a good response might be something along the lines of, "Just because you have one flat tire doesn't mean you should shoot the other three." It might make her view things differently.

After that however if she is still stubborn you should let the issue go. She's not perfect. Neither is anyone else. But nagging her about her flaws could eventually damage or even end the friendship. I do hope she starts working out but you can't make the choice for her. She has to want it.