One of the first noticeable effects of quitting smoking is that you can breathe easier. But the real benefits come from the times when your lungs are challenged by some kind of flu or bug.

Within days of stopping cigarettes you will notice it is easier to take a deep breath. In a couple of weeks you should be rid of the cough and find it easier to climb stairs.

But you will really notice the benefits of quitting smoking when you experience your next cold or flu. Some smokers suffer from Asthma so they will be feel huge gains when they remove the burden of smoking from their lungs.

Allergic reactions are another key time. In the wet season when there is mould in cupboards, on clothes or even on the walls the smoker will be immediately more susceptible, because their lungs are already compromised.

Also the smokers immune system is low compared to after they quit, so their ability to cope with moulds and other airborne allergens is reduced.

Smoking reduces your stores of Vitamin C and Zinc which help drive your immune system. Smoking is like being under constant stress, your body is spending long periods each day trying to cope with this foreign invader called smoke.

Therefore any smoker will be at much greater risk to lung problems such as infections and allergies. They will also take longer to recover. Therefore, the message is simple, when you quit, you will enjoy much healthier lungs.

You will also be far less susceptible to allergens, bacteria and colds and flu's. There are a long list of reasons for quitting smoking. Improved lung health is just one of them. But it is a very important one because you will experience rapid positive results.

Quick results are very important for any human change of significance, because humans are very poor at focussing on the long term benefits of any goal.

One of the things you can do to help you to remain a non smoker is to focus on the day to day benefits of quitting. Perhaps each morning you could do some deep breathing for a minute or so. This not only helps your lung capacity increase but also reminds you of how good it is to be able to breathe.