Lung capacity refers to the amount of air that your lungs can hold. After the mid-20s, the lung capacity begins to decrease. When the lung’s capacity decreases, the victim suffers from shortness of breath. Asthma is one of the most common lung diseases that limit the lung’s capacity.
Lung problems disturb the quality of life and decrease the ability to hold the amount of air. It causes difficulty in breathing and can develop many other diseases.
Many breathing exercises can improve your lungs’ capacity and bring back your natural breathing process. One of the best lungs specialists in Rawalpindi suggested my uncle exercise for their lungs as it will prevent shortness of breath.
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Belly Breathing or Diaphragmic Breathing
American Lung Association introduced an exercise that improves the expanding and contracting of the lungs. In this exercise, your belly fills with the air. Pulmonologists suggest using a tissue box to check the rising and falling of the belly. You should practice more to breathe out as long as you inhale. People with COPD can get benefits from belly breathing as it will prevent them from shortness of breath.
How to practice belly breathing?
- Lie down or sit back and relax your shoulders.
- Use both hands, one on the belly and one on your chest.
- Inhale the air through your nose for more than one second, feel your stomach rise.
- Exhale through pursed lips while pressing your abdomen.
- Go on.
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Pursed Lip Breathing
It is a technique that lets people keep the airways open for longer. Such a slow-down breathing technique improves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This exercise will let you focus on the time of your breathing as you can breathe in for 5 seconds and exhale for 10 seconds. It can help people who are not active physically.
How to Do It?
- Ensure that you sit up straight because it will promote your lung movement.
- Follow a controlled motion to inhale the air.
- Purse your lips.
- Exhale through your pursed lips.
- Ensure that your breath out twice as long as you breathe in.
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Rib Stretch
We can’t deny the fact that rib stretch allows our lungs to fill more air. You can follow this technique to inhale as much air as possible. It will not allow stale air to build-up in your lungs.
How to Practice Rib Stretch?
- Stand upright position
- Hands-on your hips
- Breathe in the air slowly to fill your lungs capacity
- Hold your breath as long as you can
- Exhale the air slowly
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Increase Your Physical Activity
People should go for a morning walk daily as it improves their overall body health. Some exercises improve your lung’s capacity but also allow the heart and other organs to perform better. The large volume of breath in and out can help a lot the people with COPD or asthma. We should follow the best practices that can keep us safe from shortness of breath.
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Laughing
Laughing works for abdominal muscles as well as for the lungs. It is the best way to keep your lung’s capacity higher and allow more air to enter your lungs.
When a person laughs, the lungs let the air in by eliminating the stale air. It expands alveoli in your lungs. Such expansion refers to increasing the exchange of oxygen.
How to Prevent Lungs from Diseases?
We should follow the natural ways to fulfill our body requirements. Healthy lungs give us a long and quality of life. Here, we have come with the following tips:
- Exercise more and improve your lung functions.
- Keep air quality by using air filters
- A healthy diet plan to improve the lung’s capacity, including pumpkin, green tea, apples, beets, turmeric, etc.
Final Thoughts
I remember a recent incident about a person whom I met at Nisar hospital. He was there for shortness of breathing but had no idea what the reason was behind it.
It shows that basic information about the breathing or respiratory system can help us to deal with real issues. People with COPD and Asthma problems should exercise for their lungs as it will keep them active and prevent breathing issues. You should also follow a healthy diet plan to improve lung health.