Overview
The importance of lung capacity can not be neglected as it ensures better outcomes in terms of longevity and improved health status. Here in this blog, we will share some useful exercises that can enhance your lung capacity.
Summary
- Lung capacity is also known as forced vital capacity.
- Some useful exercises can increase your lung capacity and help improve your lungs’ overall health.
- Diaphragmatic Breathing is a great exercise involving the full attachment of abdominal muscles, stomach, and diaphragm.
- It is a useful technique that helps people struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Pursed-lip breathing is a useful technique that helps in reducing the rate of breathing.
- This technique can help improve the functioning of the lungs and help control your breath rate.
- Many exercises are designed in a way to not only improve the overall lung functioning but also help in reducing the body’s stress level.
- The most common of them are box breathing and equal breathing.
- Avoid smoking and any other environmental irritants or indoor pollutants as they can badly influence your health.
What is Lung Capacity?
Lung capacity is also known as forced vital capacity. It indicates the maximum amount of air you can exhale from your lungs by force after a full inhalation or the maximum amount of air your lungs can hold.
There are certain severe conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), that can significantly decline the functioning of the lungs. It can badly affect your breathing rate.
List of Some Useful Exercises for Increasing Your Lung Capacity
Lungs are an essential body organ as they allow the intake of oxygen from the environment and supply it to your bloodstream. Luckily, some useful exercises can increase your lung capacity and help improve your lungs’ overall health.
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing is a great exercise involving the full attachment of abdominal muscles, stomach, and diaphragm. This exercise’s main objective is to actively pull the diaphragm downward with each breath an individual takes. It can also be termed as abdominal or belly breathing.
It is a useful technique that helps people struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease because the diaphragm of such individuals needs to be immensely strengthened. For better results, perform this exercise when you feel relaxed.
Your specialist may once show you how it is performed to help you gain better results. You can perform the following practices for strengthening your lungs.
- Firstly, leave your body in a resting position, specifically, relax your shoulder muscles or sit back.
- Now one by one, place your hands on the belly and chest region.
- Then allow your body to inhale through your nose for approximately 2-3 seconds.
- Breathe out after 2 seconds and press your abdominal region.
- Repeat it after some time.
2. Pursed-Lip Breathing – It is a useful technique that helps in reducing the rate of breathing. Pursed-lip breathing helps in improving lung functioning through the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide from the environment. It makes your breathing more intentional.
Beginners often perform it as it is a relatively easy exercise. For performing this technique, you have to practice the following steps:
- First step is to start inhaling slowly from your nostrils.
- Second step is to press your lips together and then in the outward direction as if you’re about to blow on something.
- Then start breathing out slowly through your pouted lips. Take a long time than usual that you have taken while inhaling.
- Repeat the process.
By performing this exercise, you can improve your lung mechanics. It is an effective treatment option for people struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Benefits of Pursed Lip Breathing
This technique can help improve the functioning of the lungs and help control your breath rate. Some of the benefits of this exercise may include:
- This helps patients struggling with a condition known as shortness of breath.
- It keeps the airways open for a longer duration that ultimately decreases the work needed for breathing.
- This helps in improving the ventilation process.
- It creates a positive experience overall by helping the body to relax.
- This also allows your nervous system to calm down and helps in reducing overall stress and anxiety.
Other Breathing Exercises for Improving Lung Functioning
Many exercises are designed in a way to not only improve the overall lung functioning but also help in reducing the body’s stress level. The most common exercises that help in fighting against certain lung conditions may include:
1. Box Breathing – It is a useful technique in which you breathe in and breathe out after holding your breath for equal counts. It is also known as square breathing. This exercise is effectively used as a stress reliever technique. It is also used for treating chronic lung diseases.
2. Equal Breathing – In this exercise, you inhale and exhale for equal counts without holding your breath.
How to Keep Your Lungs Healthy?
With a healthy mindset, you can keep your lungs healthy by adopting the following preventive measures:
- Avoid smoking and any other environmental irritants or indoor pollutants as they can badly influence your health.
- You should practice eating healthy foods, especially foods that are rich in antioxidants.
- Exercising daily can help in strengthening your lungs, thus ultimately improving its functioning.
- Daily wash your hands with soap to avoid any kind of infection.
- Get yourself vaccinated for influenza as it will also promote healthy lungs.
When to Seek Medical Care?
Consult your doctor if you are struggling with any of the following medical conditions:
- Shortness of breath.
- Feeling trouble while breathing.
- Feeling tightening in your throat region.
You need to immediately consult a doctor or specialist if you experience any of the following warning signs:
- You’re not able to get enough oxygen.
- Feeling a sharp pain in your chest region.
Protect your lungs by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Consult our team of specialists at Complete Medical Wellness if you are experiencing any lung health issues.