If you needed a sign to quit, this is it! No matter your age, it is never too late to quit smoking, and the health benefits you experience from breaking this habit can begin just 20 minutes after smoking your last cigarette.
You Can Experience Almost Immediate Health Benefits When You Quit Smoking
After only 20 minutes of not smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure begin to lower, and after approximately 12 hours, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood begin to lessen. Additionally, two weeks after you quit smoking, you will experience improved circulation and lung function.
Regardless of your age, it is never too late to prioritize your overall health and make better choices. Not only do you experience almost-immediate health benefits, but you may even experience a lower chance of contracting a cold, the flu, pneumonia or bronchitis, which can be highly dangerous and even fatal to older individuals. Additional advantages include whiter teeth and eyes, increased energy and an improved ability to exert energy when performing daily activities such as walking up stairs or cleaning your home.
Older Adults Have an Advantage When it Comes to Quitting Smoking
It may seem true that the longer you have had a bad habit, the harder it is to break. However, older adults have a unique advantage when it comes to breaking bad habits compared to younger individuals. Older smokers tend to be more motivated to quit than younger smokers because they typically have spent more years experiencing the burden of addiction and its negative side effects. In other words, they are better prepared to quit smoking at an older age compared to when they were younger, when their recently discovered habit of smoking felt new and exciting. While it is always challenging for any smoker to quit their habit, know that you are typically more prepared and motivated as an older adult to make an important change, and it is never too late to make healthier choices in your life.
You Will Protect Loved Ones and Those Surrounding You From Secondhand Smoke
Smoking does not merely impact the primary smoker—secondhand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals and is linked to a variety of negative health issues including coronary heart disease, stroke, impaired lung function, lung cancer and more. Secondhand smoke can negatively affect anyone from small children to older adults, and if you spend a significant amount of time with members of your family, your smoking habit may have the potential to impact their health as well. This is an excellent motivator to take on the challenge of quitting your smoking habit so you can prioritize your health and the health of your loved ones.
Bel Aire Senior Living is Here to Help
We know how difficult it can be to quit smoking, especially if you are a part of the older generation that grew up in a society that normalized and even promoted smoking culture. However, know that it is never too late to quit and that you have the strength in you to start now. Bel Aire Senior Living is passionate about improving the lives and wellbeing of each and every person in our care.
We want to support you or your loved one’s journey to a happier, healthier, longer life.
To learn more about Bel Aire, visit www.belairecare.com or call us at 801.763.0622
