The lung is a vital organ, so it needs to be taken care of.
You already know exercise is good for you. You probably think about the way it can boost your fitness, trim your waistline, strengthen you heart and even improve your mood. But did you know that exercise can also help keep your lungs healthy?
Exercise and lungs
When you are physically active, your heart and lungs work harder to supply the additional oxygen your muscles demand.
Just like regular exercise makes your muscles stronger, it also makes your lungs and heart stronger.
National guidelines recommend that all adults get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. It doesn't have to be a formal exercise program to be beneficial. Some examples of moderate activity include walking briskly, recreational bicycling, gardening and vigorous housecleaning.
Both aerobic activities and muscle-strengthening activities can benefit your lungs.
Breathing exercises and lungs
Breathing exercise improves both physical and psychological condition, is beneficial for immunity, restful sleep, digestive system, mood, regulates blood pressure, calms and most importantly recommended for the respiratory system.
According to a recommendation from the British Lung Foundation, deep breathing can get rid of mucus from the lungs (after the onset of pneumonia). This requires a person to take a deep breath and exhale (the exercise should be performed at least five times).
There are many forms of breathing exercises and here are a few.
Breathing exercise N1
When you are placed comfortablyinhale deeply and slowly with your nose and then exhale slightly through your lips.
Exercise N2
Sit comfortably, relax, place your hand on your abdomen, and inhale slowly through your nose (feel your abdomen rise as you breathe in, your lower back as you inhale, and your lower back as you exhale) - Exhale through your mouth.
Additional recommendation
Remember, the main cause of lung diseases is tobacco smoke, therefore, you should stop smoking.
It is necessary to take the recommended dose of water.
Any discomfort associated with the lungs is noticeable! For example, if you experience pain while breathing, complain of shortness of breath (difficulty breathing) during daily activities, orcough won't stop, see your doctor immediately.
Singing and lungs
Singing can be called one of the forms of physical activity that really trains the lungs.
During singing, the inhale-exhale process is activated, the diaphragm works. When you sing, the breathing time lasts longer and, most importantly, you experience pleasure along with breathing properly, which is an additional bonus for a good mood.
Singing trains the lungs and naturally produces happiness hormones in the body.
An interesting experiment was carried out several years ago. The study included people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. During the experiment, the authors of the study noticed that thanks to singing, patients breathed more deeply, did not worry about inhaling, and many of the symptoms characteristic of the disease improved in parallel with an adequate course of treatment.
Patients noted that they felt better during singing and were no longer afraid.
It is noteworthy that several participants had a concomitant psychological disorder with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The scientists said that the level of anxiety and depression was significantly reduced amid the positive mood and unloading caused by the song.
The Balloon Exercise
You can practice this simple exercise by blowing up a certain number of balloons each day.
Blowing balloons works out the intercostals muscles.This allows your lungs to take in oxygen during inhalation. Oxygen restores energy to cells and muscles. Blowing up balloons exercises your respiratory muscles.
Source:
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/wellness/exercise-and-lung-health
https://pulmonaryfibrosisnow.org/2020/03/10/balloon-breathing-exercise-for-improved-lung-function/
