LONDON, June 28 /PRNewswire/ --     With the smoking ban looming, Virgin Active is launching a nationwide
campaign to encourage the UK public to take up exercise as a way of combating
the negative effects of smoking.

To coincide with the UK Smoking ban starting on the 1st July Virgin
Active Health Clubs will offer a join for free promotion for those members
that sign up between 1st - 8th July 2007.

As reported by Ash.org.uk 12 million adults in Great Britain smoke
cigarettes - 26% of men and 23% of women. Virgin Active is aiming to combat
the discouragement that is often directed at smokers and instead raise
awareness of the benefits that exercise can have on everyone's overall
fitness and more specifically cardiovascular and respiratory systems smokers
and non smokers alike.

Adding just 30 minutes of exercise a day can have a noticeable effect on
the efficiency of the heart, lungs, and vascular system in the average adult
therefore improving the delivery of oxygen to the muscles. Because aerobic
exercise requires oxygen from the air to get to your muscles, this improves
not only your stamina but also the health of your heart and lungs. Aerobic
exercise forces the lungs and heart to work harder and, in so doing,
strengthens and conditions them.

Christian Mason, UK Fitness Manager for Virgin Active suggests doing
anything from power walking at a brisk pace to taking part in a class or
swimming 20 lengths to get yourself motivated. After less than two weeks you
should start seeing results in the way you feel generally and then after 6-8
weeks you'll notice a considerable difference in fitness levels, enjoy a
motivational boost and see physical changes in appearance.

Improved physical appearance is often the main thing we associate with
regular exercise. However one of the most important benefits of Virgin
Active's suggested 30 minutes a day is the improvement of a persons health.
Exercise increases efficiency of the heart and lungs and also results in
increased muscle strength 30 minutes a day also helps to reduce blood
pressure, a factor that is often associated with smoking. Cholesterol levels
and blood disease can also be reduced through regular exercise.

It has also been suggested that exercise can help people wanting to give
up smoking;

'People who struggle to give up smoking could make things much easier for
themselves by taking just moderate exercise,' said lead author Dr Adrian
Taylor of the University of Exeter's School of Sport and Health Sciences.(x)

Other benefits of 30 minutes a day include general enhanced feelings of
wellbeing giving you more energy and reducing tension levels. It also can
enhance your social life giving you more inclination to participate in group
activities and providing increased opportunities to make new friends and
build relationships.

(x) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=65242