Exercises To Improve Lungs Health

Our lungs play a vital role in supplying oxygen to the body, but their capacity and function naturally decline as we age. Lung capacity refers to the total amount of air our lungs can hold, and maintaining it is essential for overall health. This capacity gets hampered when you suffer from a respiratory condition. Fortunately, regular breathing exercises can help strengthen the lungs, improve efficiency, and enhance respiratory endurance.

Whether you have a respiratory condition or simply want to boost lung function, specific exercises can help increase lung capacity, improve endurance, and reduce breathlessness. From deep breathing techniques to aerobic workouts, incorporating lung-strengthening exercises into your routine can improve respiratory health and overall fitness.

In this blog, we will explore different exercises to improve lung health.

Conditions Affecting Lungs Health

Chronic respiratory conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) can significantly affect lung capacity, leading to breathlessness and difficulty breathing. COPD includes conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which further impair lung function. 

Symptoms of COPD

• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Mucus accumulation in the lungs
• Chest congestion

These symptoms can worsen with time, but practising lung exercise can help increase lung capacity.

How to Improve Lungs Health?

When we have healthy lungs, breathing is natural and easy. Over time, people with asthma and COPD have poor lung capacity, which causes oxygen levels to fall in the body, leading to breathlessness.

Fortunately, many lung exercises make the lungs strong and are beneficial to increasing lung capacity and maintaining lung health.

Performing lung exercise regularly potentially aids in reducing breathlessness and increases overall energy. Incorporating specific poses like Padmasana (Lotus Position) can be particularly beneficial for maintaining and improving lung health.

Tips On How To Improve Lung Health

We all know prevention is the best cure; keeping our lungs healthy rather than repairing them after something goes wrong is better.

To Make Your Lungs Strong, Do The Following:

People with a weaker respiratory system and more prone to lung complications must get vaccinated to strengthen their lungs.

• Consume antioxidants
• Perform lung exercises for healthy lungs.
• Use air filters that reduce pollutants and improve air quality.
• Avoid smoking
• Drink plenty of water
• Stay active 

If any person experiences poor lung symptoms like shortness of breath and wheezing that do not go away, they should contact their doctor as soon as possible.

5 Lung Exercises To Make Lungs Strong

1. Belly Breathing

Belly breathing lung exercise, also called “Diaphragmatic breathing”, engages the diaphragm to strengthen the lungs for heavy lifting during breathing. This lung exercise is helpful for people with COPD as it strengthens the diaphragm and increases lung capacity.

Follow the given steps to practice belly breathing lung exercises

• Lie down on your back
• Keep one hand on the belly and the other on the chest
• Inhale for 2 seconds, so the stomach should move more than the chest.
• Exhale for 2 seconds while pressing on the abdomen
• Repeat the same

2. Pursed Lips Breathing

Pursed lips breathing is a lung capacity exercise that slows breathing and reduces workload, keeping airways open for longer. This lung exercise improves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, thus increasing lung capacity.

To practice pursed lips breathing lung exercise-

• Inhale slowly 
• Pout your lips like you are about to blow something
• Slowly breathe out through pursed lips
• Repeat. 

3. Deep Breathing

Performing deep breathing lung exercises prevents air from getting trapped in our lungs, which may cause restlessness in the lungs.

Here is how to practice deep breathing lung capacity exercises-

• Expand your chest fully while keeping your elbows straight
• Inhale deeply
• Hold your breath and count to 5
• Exhale profoundly and remove the air slowly until you feel all the inhaled air has been exhaled.

Lung exercise tip:

This exercise should be accompanied by daily breathing exercises, including bhramari pranayama, and must be performed 3-4 times daily.

4. Buteyko Breathing Exercise

Buteyko breathing lung exercise is an especially designed technique for asthmatic patients. This method emphasises controlling the speed and volume of breath.

The Buteyko method improves breath control and promotes proper breathing patterns. Practising this lung exercise prevents complications like breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing.

5. Roll Breathing

Roll breathing lung exercise helps to develop the lungs and focus on the breathing rhythm. 

Tips for roll breathing:

• Place your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your chest
• Fill your lower lungs so the belly rises and the chest remains still.
• Breathe in through your nose and breathe out via mouth.
• Repeat 8 to 10 times

People with poor lung health should practice roll breathing for several weeks as this method also relieves breathlessness.

According to AAFP, people who perform breathing exercises show increased lung capacity and other potential benefits like:

• Reduced breathlessness
• Improved quality of life

Physical Exercises To Increase Lungs Capacity

People who experience breathing problems generally avoid physical activities because of breathlessness. But practising physical activities improves lung health and makes them stronger.

Some common physical exercises that can be performed include:

• Walking
• Stretching
• Weight training
• Hydrotherapy

What Happens to the Lungs When You Exercise?

While doing exercise, the heart and lungs are the two most active organs that come into action. Lungs receive oxygen, provide energy to the body, and remove carbon dioxide from the body.

While exercising, muscles work harder, and the body uses more energy and oxygen. To cope with the demand, our breathing pattern increases to about 20-25 times normal, which increases lung activity and improves lung function. 

Conclusion

Incorporating lung-strengthening exercises into your daily routine can significantly improve respiratory function, increase lung capacity, and enhance overall endurance. Whether through deep breathing techniques, aerobic activities, or resistance training, these exercises help your lungs work more efficiently, reducing breathlessness and improving oxygen circulation. 

Consistency is key. Practising these exercises regularly can lead to long-term benefits, especially for those with respiratory conditions. Along with exercise, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, staying hydrated, and avoiding pollutants further support lung health. By taking proactive steps, you can keep your lungs strong and enjoy better breathing for years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a healthcare provider before beginning any new wellness practice, especially if you have an existing medical condition or are on medication.

References

• National Library of Medicine. (2016). Your Lungs and Exercise. Breathe, 12(1), 97–100. National Library of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.ELF121
• Jun, H.-J., Kim, K.-J., Nam, K.-W., & Kim, C.-H. (2016). Effects of breathing exercises on lung capacity and muscle activities of elderly smokers. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(6), 1681–1685. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.1681
• LIU, W., PAN, Y.-L., GAO, C.-X., SHANG, Z., NING, L.-J., & LIU, X. (2013). Breathing exercises improve post-operative pulmonary function and quality of life in patients with lung cancer: A meta-analysis. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 5(4), 1194–1200. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2013.926