Exercises That Will Empower Your Lungs

Increasing the lung capacity is as important as building overall stamina. Empowered lungs improve breathing and oxygen exchange, thus allowing the body to expand its ability to process oxygen and hence the core functions.  One can easily advance one’s lung capacity with a combination of   breathing and physical exercises, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle modifications.

Physical Exercises

Choose the cardio routine that you enjoy and push yourself a bit harder every time you practice the exercise.  You may achieve this, either by increasing time or by increasing the intensity of the routine. This would make your lungs work harder, resulting in greater lung capacity. Getting yourself involved in active sports like basketball, hockey and soccer would break the monotony and keep you interested  and persistent.

Breathing Exercises

Breathing is a voluntary activity, but when done with caution and focus, it can help you improve lung stamina. Deep breathing exercises enhance the capacity of your lungs, enabling them to hold more air, read Oxygen. It would also, gradually improve the body’s ability to utilize oxygen and stimulates efficient metabolism.

Some examples of breathing exercises that would help you empower your lungs include:

• Stretching the ribs: Exhale all of the air from the lungs and then slowly breathe in. While doing so, keep your focus on the breath. When your ribs are stretched to maximum capacity, hold the air you inhaled, count till 20 and exhale slowly. Repeat 5 times. Add 3- 5 counts every day.
• Abdominal Breathing: Lie down on your back and inhale slowly, through nose. Keep drawing the air till your abdomen rises above your chest. Hold for few seconds and exhale slowly through mouth. Remember that as you exhale, your abdomen should squeeze back, even beyond its original shape.

• Breath Count: Take a comfortable posture while keeping your back straight.  This exercise involves breathing normally; however, you are required to count every breath that you take. Count “one “ as you inhale, then “ two “as you exhale. Keep counting till you reach the number “eight”. Then repeat counts and cover 4 -5 cycles. You can increase the total number of counts to “ten” then “twelve” and so on, with every session.

Lung capacity also depends on several external factors like smoking and air pollution. It is important that you keep them safe in order be able to have them working for long.