Cigar smoking and staying in shape

[rmill3r]

So I've been trying to stay in (generally) good shape for the past year or two. Lately I've really upped that and have been lifting weights, running, and swimming on a regular routine basis. Now, clearly, smoking anything isn't going to be good for someone trying to stay healthy/in shape, but we pick and choose our poisons and I happen to like a good cigar and whisky a few nights a week.

I was going for my usual run yesterday and I had to stop way shorter than I normally do because I found myself running out of breath quicker and--I don't know how else to put this--"sharper" than usual. Like I was really struggling to get good, deep breaths in and it truly concerned me.

I also think that I'm coming off of the tail end of a minor sickness, so I think that's actually more of the reason for my shortness of breath (at least for right now), because I also was feeling mucus building up while I was running that made the breathing even more difficult.

That being said, for those of you who are healthy and in shape, what do you do to counteract your smoking habit? Obviously ditching cigars entirely is 100% the correct answer to staying healthy, but I'm just not willing to do that right now--I like them too much. Any exercises or routines you regularly do to balance your habit?

[PigFish]

Cigars are healthy… One must feed the mind and the soul to stay fit.

-the Rev. Piggy

[cigarbreak]

My local BnM guru told me that the best time to smoke a cigar is after some good excercise when your sinuses and palate are open...I tried it after a some running and boy was he right. Problem is that i'm not as interested in running as much as I smoke lol...seriously though, having a cigar after some good excercise is a whole other experience not unlike a cigarette after sex. I say if you want to balance it just smoke after you're done our excercise regiment so that you can 'recover' before your next excercise session.

[tjohn7]

  On 9/4/2014 at 4:16 PM, cigarbreak said:

My local BnM guru told me that the best time to smoke a cigar is after some good excercise when your sinuses and palate are open...I tried it after a some running and boy was he right. Problem is that i'm not as interested in running as much as I smoke lol...seriously though, having a cigar after some good excercise is a whole other experience not unlike a cigarette after sex. I say if you want to balance it just smoke after you're done our excercise regiment so that you can 'recover' before your next excercise session.

I'll second that notion. Or if you have nasal spray (I have pretty rough seasonal allergies) take a couple shots of that to the nose then smoke a cigar. It's like smoking a completely different cigar.

[fabes]

I skateboard which provides excellent cardio, core and leg training. It also stimulates creativity and critical thinking as well as reflex strengthening and quick decision making. I like to think it provides mental benefits as well as physical benefits which are all part of a healthy lifestyle. Been skateboarding for 20 years and hopefully can go for another 10 years. If not I guess I'll have to find something else that works. I absolutely despise running, but thoroughly love cardio exercise.

[DWC]

How about jogging to and from the humidor when selecting a cigar? ;-}

[Mckucci]

Well, let me start off by saying I'm a gym rat, I was a certified personal trainer for 2 years, until I started my own business... When I'm not at work I'm either in the gym lifting, or at home smoking cigars...

I'm 5'9, 205 lbs and around 7% body fat... I've been working out on and off for the past 5 years... I typically smoke 3-4 nights out of the week.

I run 3 days a week, approximately 3 km (Short interval, high intensity ie, sprint for 1 minute, then walk for 2 and repeat)

Mainly it all comes down to diet, how frequent you exercise and how hard you push yourself. You don't typically inhale cigars, the way you would a cigarette or some other substances... So theoretically, it wont affect your lung capacity and endurance that much.

However, if you're smoking 3-4 cigars at a time, 7 days a week, I'm sure it will have some impact... .Moderation is key, I drink, I smoke and I eat crappy food.. Just not every day..

Go to the gym, lift heavy ass weight, focus on your rest times between sets, turn lifting into cardio with short rests (30 seconds max)... and when you feel tired, keep pushing.... Heavy weight is key, if you can push more then 7 reps, up your weight. this will help with endurance in the long run...

Go for a light jog 2-3 days a week, and set a goal for yourself, choose a landmark along your route, and each week try and run past that, even if its only 10 steps past, you've made progress.. You'll start seeing results and feel better within a matter of weeks, just keep in mind, it doesn't happen overnight, and you need to put in the hard work! nothing comes easy!

[Sophistic]

i run up to 100km/week and i usually schedule my drinking and smoking nights before an off-day but depends on how much and what i drink and smoke, a mild perla and two gin&tonics dont affect my performance that much, two bolivar pcs and 4 whiskys and even light jogging is a drag.

[rmill3r]

  On 9/4/2014 at 5:21 PM, Mckucci said:

Well, let me start off by saying I'm a gym rat, I was a certified personal trainer for 2 years, until I started my own business... When I'm not at work I'm either in the gym lifting, or at home smoking cigars...

I'm 5'9, 205 lbs and around 7% body fat... I've been working out on and off for the past 5 years... I typically smoke 3-4 nights out of the week.

I run 3 days a week, approximately 3 km (Short interval, high intensity ie, sprint for 1 minute, then walk for 2 and repeat)

Mainly it all comes down to diet, how frequent you exercise and how hard you push yourself. You don't typically inhale cigars, the way you would a cigarette or some other substances... So theoretically, it wont affect your lung capacity and endurance that much.

However, if you're smoking 3-4 cigars at a time, 7 days a week, I'm sure it will have some impact... .Moderation is key, I drink, I smoke and I eat crappy food.. Just not every day..

Go to the gym, lift heavy ass weight, focus on your rest times between sets, turn lifting into cardio with short rests (30 seconds max)... and when you feel tired, keep pushing.... Heavy weight is key, if you can push more then 7 reps, up your weight. this will help with endurance in the long run...

Go for a light jog 2-3 days a week, and set a goal for yourself, choose a landmark along your route, and each week try and run past that, even if its only 10 steps past, you've made progress.. You'll start seeing results and feel better within a matter of weeks, just keep in mind, it doesn't happen overnight, and you need to put in the hard work! nothing comes easy!

Excellent advice. Thank you. There's a house on my route that I use as a visual reminder to know how far I run, but I usually stop there. Maybe now I'll gradually try to go past it, even if it's only a little.

[Mckucci]

  On 9/4/2014 at 6:33 PM, rmill3r said:

Excellent advice. Thank you. There's a house on my route that I use as a visual reminder to know how far I run, but I usually stop there. Maybe now I'll gradually try to go past it, even if it's only a little.

Anytime brother!

[Colt45]

As I typically only smoke once or twice a week, it has never been an issue. Personally, I think the joint stress of running on pavement is less healthy than the occaisonal cigar.

[NJP]

If your shortness of breath concerned you see a Doc. You are starting to ramp up your efforts working out make sure the body is happy with what you are doing. Just my thoughts. I had a similar experience and it was a bit more than what I was thinking.

[Strada]

  On 9/4/2014 at 5:58 PM, Sophistic said:

i run up to 100km/week and i usually schedule my drinking and smoking nights before an off-day but depends on how much and what i drink and smoke, a mild perla and two gin&tonics dont affect my performance that much, two bolivar pcs and 4 whiskys and even light jogging is a drag.

I agree with this although I run more around the 30-40 km/week plus basketball league AND I smoke bigger cigars than pcs.

It is all about balance and scheduling your smokes.

+1 on staying in shape tho. Keep it up!

[chrisgeo]

I, personally, haven't had a problem with it. And training folks who are regular cigar smokers hasn't been too big of a deal.

The difference I've found between a cigar smoker and a cigarette smoker is generally the amount.

That being said, your diet plays a bigger role in all this.

[yannis]

from my personal experience, smoking 3-4 cigars per week in the last 5 years(before that it was 0-4 a month) had a bad impact on my health.

I had to see a doc. and he stressed, not to quit-as he himself loves havanas- to stay at 1 cigar maximum 2 per week.

That said keep in mind that I am an allergic person from my birth.I love havanas so I hope I can balance it.

So keep in mind that smoking is NOT 100% out of risks.

Best

[Phillys]

I do both, I can't imagine life without boxing or smoking, I get so much from both. Keeping active is important, plus cigars make us happy, so as long as I enjoy it I will keep doing both.

for the routine, I do 4 days of kickboxing a week, sometimes sparring Saturday mornings, I also do 2-3 days of quick gym (30-40 mins)during lunch hour at work. Hard work but it keeps me level.

I drink, not always but I like to drink with friends, a lot! I smoke 3-4 cigars a week and love takeout Friday's. I see it this way; I exercise a lot, so I feel that I can indulge more on cigars, drinks and food. It's all about balance for me, it evens out.

Keep at it and don't forget to enjoy life!

[Maplepie]

Cigar Smoking and Risks/Damages Relating to Cigarette Smoking Counterparts

Studies done by Dr. David M. Burns

Forward and Synopsis by Maple P. π

Preface

Studies of cigar smokers have only done on ones who inhale. This is how the Surgeon General in America can claim (without falsification) that "cigar smoking is NOT a safe alternative to cigarettes". Searching through public archives (didn't try any deeper biomedical private archives (why the hell would they be private) though), I've only found one so far and it's only from 1998.

Essentially, only 4 pages of the paper of the journal was actually dedicated to cigar smokers - and that was only to compare them to cigarette smokers. So little research has been done on this topic even in these papers.

The other one is a paper (Ray. You should remember this one) that analyses all the chemicals in tobacco and tobacco smoke.

This was a study done in 1998 in America by an American under American peer review on American smokers of Non-Cuban cigars. This makes it less applicable especially with the fact that NCs generally contain higher contents of nitrosamines, nicotine, and general black sludge.

The Results (Synopsis)

1-2 cigars a day increases the risk of:*

-General cause of death 2% more

-Buccal/Pharynx Cancer by 2.12x**

-Esophagus Cancer by 2.28x

-Lung Cancer by 1% less

-Pancreas cancer 18% more

-COPD 39% more

-Heart Disease 2% less.

Compared to cigarettes, of under one pack a day:

-General cause of death 46% more

-Buccal/Pharynx Cancer by 5.93x

-Esophagus Cancer by 2.41x

-Lung Cancer by 8.7x

-Pancreas cancer by 1.69x

-COPD by 8.86x

-Heart Disease 40% less.

*Studies have been done with a 12 year follow up by all smoked using 'little-moderate' inhalation of cigars and full inhalation of cigarettes.

** This excludes Salivary glands of the mouth

Conclusion and Explaination of Lung Cancer and Heart Disease Results

This can be used in no way to further academic articles or research nor is this a reliable source. Let's just get that out of the way.

Essentially, I don't smoke 1-2 cigars a day. I'm pretty sure only a few gents here do that, anyway. And they're either in Alberta or New York () so when winter comes along, that'll be happening even less. I have found NO articles on 1-2 cigar a week smokers so I cannot comment on my health risks and how it will vary with the lack of cigars around me all the time.

I can comment that tobacco is a level 1 carcinogen mainly to where it is exposed. No exposure to the lungs means no chance of cancer to the lungs (or little chance). Heavy exposure to the buccal cavity - and saliva, .: esophagus) - means higher chances for all those. One can technically eliminate the risk of esophageal cancer by simply spitting whilst smoking. One theoretically multiplies the risk of esophageal cancer by drinking whilst smoking.

Stomach cancer was not tested and can very likely have an increased risk as well.

Why the drop in lung cancer and heart disease risk? Two explanations:

1. Random Variation of subject

2. Nicotine's health benefits on the circulatory system. Nicotine is a stimulant. It is also a blood thickener. Normally, people don't need coagulants due to their diet, blood pressure, lifestyle, etc but it can really help healthy people by aiding the heart. Cigar nicotine absorption is so small that it ends up being GOOD for your heart. Cigarettes are accompanied by additional chemicals that helps the intake of nicotine in your lungs and essentially equivocates injection. Nicotine in a cigar has such a small bio-availability that it simply cannot be compared. But the introduction of nicotine really helps the brain and the heart.

TL;DR: 1-2 cigars a day with moderate-low inhalation yields little health adverse side effects. The majority of the population here smoke much less than 1-2 cigars a day with very low inhalation which will theoretically yield negligible adverse side effects.

Seeing the correlation to nicotine in cigarette and cigar doses with potential cardiovascular benefits, cigars in even smaller doses could potentially increase health benefits among test samples. Perhaps I'm just biased.

The habit need not be balanced.

[dowjr1]

Your shortage of breath was pulmonary adema...some fluid buildup in your lungs from your sinuses draining. Makes it harder to get a good breath and that was the sharpness in your chest as you inhale. It will go away as the sinus issues resolves. As for the rest, I'm in pretty decent shape...weights, sprints, and train Gracie Jiu-Jutsu 3-4 times a week. GJJ is similar to wrestling or grappling and rather taxing...especially if your opponent is bigger. Cigar smoking should not have an impact on your lungs since we don't inhale. I feel it has zero impact on my training regardless of how much I smoke. Keep training.

[Maplepie]

  On 9/5/2014 at 2:39 AM, dowjr1 said:

Your shortage of breath was pulmonary adema...some fluid buildup in your lungs from your sinuses draining. Makes it harder to get a good breath and that was the sharpness in yur chest as you inhale. It will go away as the sinus issues resolves.

Cigar smoking should not have an impact on your lungs since we don't inhale.

x2

x3

x4

[JHands]

I am a crossfit athlete 5x a week. I also play hockey at least once a week. I smoke 1 or 2 cigars a week, sometimes none at all. Anything in moderation is not going to kill you if your diet is in check. Staying in shape is all about what you eat.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mash]

  On 9/5/2014 at 2:39 AM, dowjr1 said:

Your shortage of breath was pulmonary adema...some fluid buildup in your lungs from your sinuses draining. Makes it harder to get a good breath and that was the sharpness in yur chest as you inhale. It will go away as the sinus issues resolves. As for the rest, I'm in pretty decent shape...weights, sprints, and train Gracie Jiu-Jutsu 3-4 times a week. GJJ is similar to wrestling or grappling and rather taxing...especially if your opponent is bigger. Cigar smoking should not have an impact on your lungs since we don't inhale. I feel it has zero impact on my training regardless of how much I smoke. Keep training.

No one can tell you over a computer what caused your shortness of breath, but it was possibly viral. Sinus inflammation and drainage does not cause pulmonary edema. If it persists, make sure you see your doctor and get looked at. It will likely clear as you move further away from your infection.

[Maplepie]

  On 9/5/2014 at 4:20 AM, mash said:

No one can tell you over a computer what caused your shortness of breath, but it was possibly viral. Sinus inflammation and drainage does not cause pulmonary edema.

Sinus drainage and inflammation can lead to other causes in pulmonary edema (or very mild forms of it)

However, now that you mention it, perhaps it simply occurs when there is a virus or small temporary infection in the lungs. Causation, innit?

[mash]

  On 9/5/2014 at 4:57 AM, Maplepie said:

Sinus drainage and inflammation can lead to other causes in pulmonary edema (or very mild forms of it)

However, now that you mention it, perhaps it simply occurs when there is a virus or small temporary infection in the lungs. Causation, innit?

No it can't.

Not meaning to take this too far off track, but I don't think it serves someone on the board to give inaccurate medical advice.

[Maplepie]

  On 9/5/2014 at 5:15 AM, mash said:

Not meaning to take this too far off track, but I don't think it serves someone on the board to give inaccurate medical advice.

Never. you'd know that i'd never willingly do that, K...

I doubt anyone would willingly give inaccurate advice on anything here.

Mind you, perhaps it'd be good for me to stop talking about something that I have absolutely 0 authority in

[mash]

I wasn't referring to you Jeremy, and I know no one would do that on purpose. Just a caution to the OP to not take what was written as fact, and to see his doctor if he's not getting better.