Key takeaways Quitting smoking is tough, but you’ll succeed Your body has changed a lot already. You’ll continue to see improvements ahead. Psychological benefits are noticeable after quitting. Keep up the great work you’re doing! You’ve been smoke-free for 4 months now? That’s an incredible achievement!Many smokers, even the most determined ones, often relapse during their first attempt to quit. But you’ve already pushed through the hardest phase of quitting — those first few weeks.Now the focus is on continuing your progress while reflecting on the physical and mental changes you’ve experienced over these past four months.Let’s take a closer…

Key takeaways Quitting smoking may temporarily increase back pain. Smoking intensifies pain, worsens spine-related conditions. Nicotine withdrawal unmasks pre-existing pain more intensely. Back pain linked to smoking may worsen over time. Quitting is crucial; circulation improves, preventing further degeneration. Quitting smoking is can be an extremely challenging process, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your health.When you quit smoking, your body enters a state of nicotine withdrawal, which can cause an array of unpleasant symptoms.You might also be wondering, did quitting smoking cause back pain?It’s highly likely that it did. Pain sensitivity increases once you stop…

Key takeaways Exercise: The shield against smoking’s harmful effects on muscles. Regular workouts may slow COPD progression in smokers. Smoking remains a red-light health risk for athletes Smoking hampers heart, blood, lungs—impacts exercise effectiveness. We all know that being active is good for us — it boosts energy, improves heart health, and keeps our muscles and bones strong as we age. Smoking, on the other hand, is one of the most damaging habits for the body, harming the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and muscles.This raises an important question: can regular exercise balance out some of the harm caused by smoking? In…

Key takeaways Weight gain after quitting smoking indicates recovery. On average, people gain about 5kg. Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly. Plan activities to replace smoke breaks. Practice mindful eating to manage hunger cues. Looking thinner seems to be the ‘healthiest’ way a person can look. But, medical experts know that being thin only makes it challenging to find a person’s health problems.As most associate good health to weight loss, they will try anything to take numbers off the scales – such as use weight loss medication or even take up cigarette smoking.Most smokers have low body fat due to…

Key takeaways Second day of quitting: challenging but transformative. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms peak on day two. Physical and psychological symptoms expected in withdrawal. Positive changes start happening within 20 minutes. Lungs begin to function properly after 48 hours. If you’ve just started on your quitting journey, it may be a relief to know that the first 48 hours without smoking are generally considered the most difficult.You’re likely wondering, what exactly is happening to my body on the second day of quitting smoking? At this point, you’re working through the worst of nicotine withdrawal.Incredibly, your body has also begun healing itself…

Key takeaways Heart Health Rebounds: Reduced Disease Risk in Weeks Breathing Easier Post-Smoking Cessation Within 2 Months Skin and Appearance Enhances Improves More Savings and Extra Hours Withdrawal Coping Strategies and Tips It’s been one month since you quit smoking. Take a moment to celebrate reaching this important milestone!Even if you slipped up over the course of the month, you’ve taken a significant step towards improving your immediate and long-term health.We understand that quitting smoking is not a straight-line process. In fact, studies have shown that the longer you’ve been smoking, the more dependent (and addicted) you are to nicotine.Being…

Key takeaways Cigarette withdrawal can’t fatally harm you. Recognize nicotine’s role in withdrawal symptoms, easing anxiety. Relaxation activities help combat heightened stress. Expect irritability, anger; communicate, engage in mood-lifting activities. Busy routines, substitutes, and NRTs aid nicotine cravings. If you’re quitting smoking, you’ve probably noticed some withdrawal symptoms by now. They can be pretty uncomfortable, but don’t stress—cigarette withdrawal isn’t life-threatening.Cigarettes contain addictive substances because they are designed to get you hooked and addicted. As a result, when you decide to quit smoking, the experience can be so unpleasant that you might start to wonder if you’ll die from it.These…

Key takeaways Quitting smoking can cause coughing. Coughing after quitting is a good sign. Smoking damages cilia, leading to coughing. Quitter’s cough may last a few weeks. Manage cough with hydration, rest, distractions. Smoking damages the body in many ways. It is the number one risk factor for lung cancer, and many smokers, particularly heavy or long-term smokers, experience a tobacco-related cough.You may be wondering why you’re coughing after quitting smoking. This can be especially confronting if you didn’t have a cough while you were smoking.The quitter’s cough, as it’s known, can actually be a good sign — it signals…

Key takeaways Smoking inflicts severe harm on lung function. Inhaled chemicals trigger various lung problems. Tobacco smoke causes irritation and airflow issues. Mucus buildup and alveoli damage worsen over time. Smoking links to lung diseases like cancer, bronchitis. Smoking tobacco is linked to 19 different types of cancer, including lung cancer, as well as a variety of other serious lung diseases.Many of these conditions can be life-threatening and, let’s be honest, they all have a significant impact on your quality of life.The good news? You can protect yourself from these illnesses by quitting smoking. When you kick the habit, your lungs…

Key takeaways Smoking leads to unhealthy weight loss. Quitting smoking can lead to temporary weight gain. Quitting can also lead to healthy weight loss. Nicotine affects metabolism, hunger cues, and hormones. Manage weight with diet, hydration, and exercise. A lot of people feel hesitant about quitting smoking because they’ve noticed they tend to lose weight while smoking. They might even think smoking is doing them a favour in that sense. But in reality, it’s quite the opposite.In Australia, smoking is the leading cause of disease burden. It might not seem like it on the surface, but tobacco is linked to 39 diseases,…