Fitness Helps All

Every year, smoking causes 443,000 deaths in the U.S. According to researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center, maintaining a higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness can effectively help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome among smokers. Metabolic syndrome consists of a cluster of conditions—from increased blood pressure to high blood sugar level, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels—that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine backed up the researchers claims, finding that smokers with an increased level of fitness reduced their risk for metabolic syndrome by up to 48 percent.  bit.ly/1z7hYoM