Recovering from a lifetime of smoking abuse..

citixen

Hi all..

So... here's the story..

Broke my wrist a few months back while out riding.. It's all healed up now (apparently.. still a bit painful after long rides or heavy lifting) and I'm getting back out on the bike again. While I was out of action, I got lots of good advice on here about how to retain some levels of fitness.. which, of course, I failed to follow for more than a couple of days. So I've lost what tiny amount of fitness I did have..

I have also made the monumentous decision to stop smoking. Date's set, doing all the things I need to do, and I'm confident I'll be ok with it..

However, now that I'm back on my bike, I've really noticed after 3 months absence exactly how effed my lungs are. Really really bad. Gasping for breath after a mile or so.. Full on chest pains after a few more. It's making getting fitness (well - muscle strength really) back very difficult, because I collapse halfway up hills and so on

So - my question is.. Is there anything specific I can do to help clear the lungs out after I quit? I know it'll happen in time anyway, but I'd like if I can to help the poor little wind-bags along to recovery (or as close as they'll get) as much as possible. The sooner I can climb again the better! I'm sure there are a good few ex-smokers on here.. was there anything you found particularly helpful? (other than not getting back on the tabs - obv)

I guess the main advice will be just to ride ride ride..


Thanks..

citixen

Is that even a word? Monumental, yes.. Momentous, yes.. Monumentous?

Hmmm... Portmanteaus are GO!

supersonic

If you are getting chest pains I would see yor GP. May be nothing, but always a good idea to get a helath check before embarking on something like this.

citixen

Asked about this when I was in a little while back.. They advised me it's just because I'm a smoker, and should be used as additional impetus to quit!.. it's more tightness and general fuzzy pain than stabbing "I'm about to die" style pains. Subsides pretty quickly once I stop exercising and my lungs aren't trying to pull in more oxygen than they're capable of!

Chisholm

I am an ex smoker and asthmatic, and had to take a medical for my helicopter pilots licence. The best thing i found to rapidly improve my breathing, amount and lug strength was a device called a Power Breath, twice a day it gave me a phenominal lung ratingof a non smoker 5 years young. I fell ace after using it

john74

i asked the doctor the same question a few years ago. he told me to bend over take 4 or 5 deep breaths then stand up quickly. it really works you end up honking up great chunks of brown tarry crap