I first heard about Yorkshire Smokefree Wakefield when they visited our workplace (Warburtons) to promote the service, and I felt like it was the right time. I disengaged at first (proving how easy it is to just continue to smoke), but a colleague who had quit after signing up on the same day pushed me to try after seeing the benefits he had experienced from stopping. This bit of peer pressure helped me get back in touch with my advisor, Clare Broadley.
I have previously stopped smoking, but it always seemed to creep back into my lifestyle. My partner doesn’t smoke, so she welcomed the change. We also have young children, and my incentives were for health, family, and financial reasons. I have been going to the gym and swimming a lot more, and I’ve noticed that since quitting, I’ve been able to run for longer and get more from my workout.
Recently, while at the pub with friends watching football—a time when it would be usual to smoke—my friends asked me if I was going outside for one, and I found I just didn’t want to. My advisor explained to me about carbon monoxide and its effects on the body (replacing oxygen being one), and after stopping, I have felt the benefits already during a gym workout. My morning cough has also stopped.
