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Increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and many other health problems, cigarette use is recognized as a leading killer in the United States. In fact, this practice is linked to one in five deaths in the country. If you smoke, the good news is that quitting the habit can help you avoid these dangers—and restore your overall health. From fitness to lung screenings, here are five ways that you can boost your wellness after you quit smoking.  

5 Health Tips to Practice When You Quit Smoking  

1. Embrace Exercise

Exercising just 30 minutes every day is one of the best steps to take after you quit. Cardio activities, for example, can repair tobacco-related damage to your heart and other organs. Engaging in fitness can also be a great distraction from cigarette cravings and help you avoid weight gain.

2. Focus on Nutrition

The harmful components found in cigarettes make it much harder for your body to get the nutrients it needs to thrive. For that reason, it’s a good idea to reevaluate your diet and look for opportunities to improve your nutrition. Eating more fruits and vegetables, for example, introduces more antioxidants into your body to restore immune health and reduce cancer risk.   

3. Avoid Excessive Drinking

lung screeningFor many people, drinking alcohol and smoking go hand-in-hand. If you usually pair these two activities, it might be wise to avoid drinking as you adjust to life without smoking. Otherwise, you might experience cravings that push you back into the habit.

4. Manage Stress

If you used smoking as a way to relieve stress, you might experience heightened levels of tension after you quit. Fortunately, there are many healthier alternatives to stress management that you can explore. Exercise, for example, can produce endorphins that help boost mood. Meditation, on the other hand, offers a chance for people to clear their thoughts and get in touch with their breathing—a quality that may have once been impaired by tobacco use.

5. Get a Lung Screening

Although much of the damage caused by smoking can be reversed after quitting, serious health risks may still be present—including lung cancer. As such, it’s essential for all tobacco users to see a medical professional for an in-depth lung screening. If the assessment reveals signs of lung cancer, you can seek out early treatments that prevent the disease from getting worse—and potentially life-threatening.

 

While quitting smoking can be a daunting task, having the help of friends, family, and trusted medical professionals can make the experience much easier. That’s why the team at Main Street Radiology is committed to delivering simple, stress-free health screenings at their clinics in Queens, NY. Accredited by the American College of Radiology, this facility provides precise diagnostic services that can be beneficial to those who smoked—such as lung screenings and bone density testing. Visit this radiology center online to learn more about their resources or call a friendly team member at (718) 428-1500 to schedule a convenient appointment.   

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