Benefits Of Giving Up Smoking

Smoking damages your entire body and giving up brings about major benefits for both your physical and mental health. Here are some of the many benefits of giving up smoking:

  • Improved health: giving up smoking boosts your immunity, which makes you less susceptible to illness and infections and it also reduces your risk of developing serious and potentially fatal diseases, including cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases. Smoking cuts life expectancy by 10 years on average and giving up will help to reduce this deficit.
  • Improved fertility: smoking is proven to affect both male and female fertility in a negative way and giving up can help to improve fertility and increase your chances of successfully conceiving a baby. 
  • Improved lung function: smoking is very harmful for the lungs and giving up has instant benefits for your respiratory system. When you give up, you will have a lower risk of coughs and chest infections and your lung capacity will increase; your risk of lung cancer and COPD will also decrease.
  • Increased life expectancy: if you quit smoking, you stand a very good chance of living longer; research suggests that giving up by 30 adds 10 years to your life, while quitting at 60 may add another 3 years to your life expectancy. 
  • Improved sex life: giving up smoking increases circulation, which makes sex more pleasurable for both women and men. Smoking can also contribute to erectile dysfunction in men, so giving up may help to ease problems.
  • Younger, brighter skin: smoking ages the skin and increases the chance of developing lines and wrinkles, as well as dry and dull skin. Giving up increase circulation, which will make your skin look younger and brighter. 
  • Improved oral health: giving up smoking will reduce your risk of bad breath and gum disease, as well as decreasing your risk of ending up with unattractive, stained teeth. 
  • More disposable income: smoking is an expensive habit and the cost of cigarettes soon mounts up, especially if you are a heavy smoker. In just one year, you could save almost £1,500 if you are used to smoking 10 cigarettes a day.
  • Improved dating prospects: many people say they would never date a smoker, so giving up may well improve your chances of meeting ‘the one’. 
  • Enhanced sense of taste: smoking dulls your taste buds and giving up may enable you to enjoy your food more.
  • Increased energy levels: smoking affects circulation and your heart has to pump harder to get enough oxygen around the body, which can leave you feeling tied and lethargic. Quitting smoking improves circulation and you’ll start to feel more energised just a few weeks after you’ve given up. 
  • Improved health for others: if you give up smoking, you won’t just be benefiting yourself; you’ll also be helping those around you, as passive smoking can be dangerous, especially for children.
  • Improved social life: if your partner or your friends are always talking about bits of a night out you missed out on because you were out having a cigarette you can look forward to being involved in all the action when you give up.
  • Lower stress and anxiety levels: many people see smoking as a means of dealing with stress and anxiety, but the truth is that they actually contribute to higher levels of stress and anxiety in the long-term. If you do feel stressed, other therapies, such as exercise, massage, meditation and breathing exercises, are all much more effective than smoking. 

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