Your lung capacity is the total amount of air that your lungs can hold. However over time, our lung capacity and lung function typically decrease slowly as we age after our mid-20s.
Fortunately, there are exercises that can help maintain and increase lung capacity, making it easier to keep your lungs healthy and get your body the oxygen it needs.
1. Diaphragmatic breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing, or “belly breathing,” engages the diaphragm, which is supposed to do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to breathing.
This technique is particularly helpful in people with diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe, as the diaphragm isn’t as effective in these individuals and could be strengthened. The technique best used when feeling rested.
Procedure:
1. Relax your shoulders and sit back or lie down.
2. Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest.
3. Inhale through your nose for two seconds, feeling the air move into your abdomen and feeling your stomach move out. Your stomach should move more than your chest does.
4. Breathe out for two seconds through pursed lips while pressing on your abdomen.
5. Repeat.
2. Pursed-lips breathing
This breathing exercise is often easier for beginners than diaphragmatic breathing, and you can do it at home at anytime.
Procedure
1. Inhale slowly through your nostrils.
2. Purse your lips, as if pouting or about to blow on something.
3. Breathe out as slowly as possible through pursed lips. This should take at least twice as long as it did to breathe in.
4. Repeat.
Tips for keeping your lungs healthy
Prevention is the best medicine, and working to keep your lungs healthy is much more efficient than trying to repair them after something goes wrong. To keep your lungs healthy, do the following:
1. Stop smoking, and avoid secondhand smoke or environmental irritants.
2. Eat foods rich in antioxidants e.g spinach, kales, dark chocolate, cocoa and strawberries among others.
3. Get vaccinations like the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine. This can help prevent lung infections and promote lung health.
4. Exercise more frequently, which can help your lungs function properly.
5. Improve indoor air quality. Use tools like indoor air filters and reduce pollutants like artificial fragrances, and dust.
Anyone can benefit from deep breathing techniques, but they play an especially important role in the COVID-19 recovery process. The exercises can be started at home during self-isolation and easily incorporated into your daily routine.
References:
https://feeds.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/lung-health-covid19.html?_
amp=truehttps://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-lung-capacity
Written By;
Thomas Sharanya
Physical Therapist
Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Health Centre
