The Effect of Exercising on Smokers’ Lung Capacity

Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate whether exercising can reduce the harmful effects caused by smoking. Additionally, the hypothesis of this research study proposes that results will show that the percentage lung capacities of smokers who exercise are similar to non-smokers who don't exercise in which it will prove that exercising does, in fact, decrease the harmful effects of smoking as a smoker who exercises is almost as healthy as a non-smoker who does not exercise. Henceforth, the hypothesis of this research will be accepted. To know that, a questionnaire was prepared, which assisted in placing the individuals in one of 4 groups. The sample size included 152 participants aged 18 and above from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. A spirometer was used to find the real lung capacity of the participants. The estimated vital capacity was calculated by substituting the height and weight of a person into an equation that gives the body surface area, and then the answer is either multiplied by 2,500 or by 2,000 to find the estimated lung capacity for males or females respectively. After collecting the essential data, it was found that people who smoke and exercise have higher lung capacity than those who smoke but don’t exercise. The t-test was used, and it was found that the difference is significant between those two sets of data. The results imply that exercising could, in fact, reduce the harmful effects of smoking as it has been predicted in the hypothesis. However, in order to be completely free of the risks of smoking, it is highly recommended to quit smoking as well fully.