Breathing Exercises for Lungs

At the time when Hridaan’s reports revealed that he had asthma, Hridaan’s mother was in denial for almost a month. Read on to know what happened a month later after her son was put on inhalers.

Berok Zindagi

Breathing Exercises for Lungs

Breathing Exercises

Just like your body needs exercise, your lungs do too! Keeping your lung capacity (how much air your lungs hold) in good shape is important for staying healthy. But it can decrease as we get older, especially after our mid-20s and if we suffer from conditions like asthma or COPD, causing trouble breathing.

If you are also suffering from any respiratory condition like asthma or COPD, breathing exercises in combination with prescribed medications, can help you manage the conditions by maintaining lung capacity, promoting lung health and supplying essential oxygen to your body.

What makes breathing exercises crucial for lung health?

Breathing exercises are like a tune-up for your respiratory system. They clear out the stale air, like doing away with old junk. Exercise also gives strength to your diaphragm, the main muscle for breathing. It lets you breathe easier and deeper, leading to a happy and healthy life. Here's the low-down on why these exercises are so important:

  • Better Breathing: Regular breathing exercises help expel stale air. They even maximize space for fresh oxygen intake. This results in enhanced oxygen delivery throughout the body. Thus, you'll notice a boost in vitality and fitness.
  • Stronger Breathing Muscle: Shallow breathing can weaken the diaphragm (a muscle under your lungs separating your chest cavity from your abdomen known as the main muscle that helps you breathe. Breathing exercises are to strengthen it. This often results in breathing that's more effortless and efficient.
  • Relaxed Muscles: When breathing becomes difficult, the body turns to secondary muscles. Secondary muscles encompass those located in the neck, shoulders, and chest. It may give rise to tension and fatigue. Partaking in breathing exercises allows for the refinement of diaphragmatic control and use. It thus reduces strain on the muscles in question.
  • Enhanced Stress Management: Deep, controlled breathing activates the body's relaxation response. The emphasis on slow and deliberate breathing is for a reason. This further assists in pacifying the nervous system and diminishing stress hormone production.

Breathing Exercises for Optimal Lung Health

Listed below are a few excellent exercise choices to maintain lung fitness:

Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing)

  • Relax and lie down or sit comfortably, shoulders loose.
  • Place one of your hands on your stomach and the other on your chest.
  • Inhale slowly through your nostrils for 2 seconds, feeling your belly expand.
  • Slowly exhale through pursed lips for a couple of seconds. Feel your stomach relax inward.
  • Repeat for 5–10 minutes daily.

Pursed-Lip Breathing

  • Stand or sit comfortably, and leave your shoulders relaxed.
  • Inhale slowly through your nostrils, counting to 2.
  • Pucker your lips in such a way that you're about to blow on a hot drink.
  • Breathe slowly out through your pursed lips for about 4 counts.
  • Repeat this a few times during the day, particularly when you feel like having trouble breathing.

References

Breathing Exercises - American Lung Association [Internet] https://www.lung.org/ (2022) Available from: Click here