What is Breathing - Dr. KNS Memorial Hospital

Breathing is the process of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide from the lungs through the nose. It is the most critical part of life, as the proverb highlights, “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on the earth”

Best Exercises for Lungs and Breathing

Breathing exercises are crucial as they help maintain good breathing, ensuring a good quality of life, especially for those with lung problems. Here are some essential practices:

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Exercise: These exercises include breathing retraining, exercise training, education, and counseling. They are recommended for people suffering from lung diseases or experiencing shortness of breath despite medications. Pulmonary rehabilitation exercises can increase overall fitness, strengthen the heart muscle, and improve blood circulation.
Warm-up: Always start with warm-up exercises to prepare your muscles, joints, and heart for the workout ahead.
Aerobic Exercise: These exercises involve the whole body, increase heart rate, and make you breathe harder. They include activities like walking, cycling, and stair climbing. Aerobic exercises improve blood circulation, balance, joint flexibility, and muscle tone. They are recommended for stress, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular problems, and certain bone-related issues.
Stretching: Stretching exercises prepare muscles for physical activity, prevent injuries, muscle strain, and increase range of motion.
Strengthening: Recommended for people with COPD, strengthening exercises make respiratory muscles stronger.
Walking: Simple walking helps improve breathing. Gradually increase the distance walked.
Stair Climbing: Climbing stairs regularly is an excellent breathing exercise. Remember to breathe in before stepping up and breathe out while stepping down.
Miscellaneous Tips: Always have your inhaler with you, wear loose and comfortable clothing, wait for an hour after a meal before exercising, and drink lots of water. A well-balanced diet and spirometer can also help strengthen lung muscles.
Breathing Exercises:

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Sit or lie down, place a hand under your breastbone, breathe in slowly through your nose to expand your diaphragm.
Pursed Lip Breathing: Bring lips together like when whistling, breathe in for 2 counts and out for 4 counts, without forcing the air out.
Rib Breathing: Place a hand at the lower part of your rib cage, breathe in and out, observe the movement of your ribs.

References

Dr. Garima Singh
Physiotherapist
BPT and DPTR.