There are so many benefits to quitting smoking and if there was ever a time to do it, it's now. The majority of people realise the health risks associated with tobacco but it's also the affect it can have on your day to day life that can be detrimental without you even realising it. The effects tend to be gradual and you don't notice them creeping up on you. It's amazing how much control nicotine can take over you.

As a teenager, I used to play a lot of football and played two to three times per week. I smoked but it was no big deal because it wasn't doing any harm to my game. That was until I began to notice that I wasn't beating defenders as easily as before and if I did manage to get passed them, they tended to be able to catch up pretty easily. I also got tired of starting a journey, long or short, and then realising that I'd forgotten my cigarettes and having to turn back.

I eventually decided to quit back in April 2003 and although the benefits weren't immediately apparent I began to notice some improvements. I particularly remember one occasion returning to the house and jumping over the garden wall instead of walking through the gate. It didn't dawn on me right away but twelve months prior to this I would have been hard pushed to climb over the wall let alone clear it.

If you make the decision to quit, you won't regret it. There are plenty of supplements and support groups available so you're not alone and it's not just down to willpower. It doesn't matter whether you decide to stop smoking and the end of your current pack or at the beginning of the New Year, just give it a go.