Ten benefits of stopping smoking - Part 4
7. Improve your fitness
It goes without saying that your breathing will improve once you stop smoking - in fact, it only takes a day for your lungs to work better.
You should also notice your energy levels increase quite considerably within as little as three days, making it easier to play sport, walk up the stairs or run for the bus.
Your entire body shape will benefit from stopping smoking as well. Puffing away regularly changes the glands that secrete hormones, so smokers actually store more fat around their waist and upper body than their hips.
This means they have a higher waist-to-hip ratio, which is associated with developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer and gallbladder problems.
- Find lots of easy exercise tips
8. Have more time
It takes between 7-10 minutes to smoke a cigarette and many of these are puffed on outside offices, bars, restaurants and shops following the introduction of the smokefree law in July 2007.
If you add these cigarettes up, a 10-a-day smoker can save around 1-2 hours a day when they quit.
This means that over the course of a year, you can claim back a month of lost time - you'll have to find a new excuse for saying there are never enough hours in a day!
- Next: Why you'll be around longer without cigarettes
More help and advice
- Get tips and advice on stopping smoking
- Read Emma's story of how she managed to quit smoking
- Could your teenager be smoking?
- Get the facts on pregnancy and smoking
- Get more help on quitting from the NHS
By Rob Mansfield
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