Just take a deep breath…
Our lungs and breathing are 2 things that we always take for granted. The lungs just seem to work and we continue breathing without even thinking about it. We only ever think about this when something is not right. We think about our fitness and trimming our waistline, boosting our fitness or improving our muscular strength. But do we ever think about exercises that we can do to keep our lungs and heart healthy and fit? The answer is generally NO!
In my last blog on Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR), I talked about how breathing exercises or a supervised PR program can help improve your lung capacity. I now want to take that a little bit further and look at breathing exercises which can help improve your muscle strength and improve your lung function.
Breathing is a natural process, achieved by the simple process of moving the air in and out of the lungs. Despite the simplicity of this process, breathing has been extensively researched in the medical field. The outcome of these studies has frequently been drawing our attention to the benefits of breathing on our overall wellbeing. Breathing exercises are a consistent theme in the PR program for people who have long term breathing problems such as asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
There are a few simple exercises that I would recommend in my blog. They are simple to do, take no time at all and you might even enjoy them!
Purse lip breathing
This amazing exercise can be done if you feel breathless while lifting weights, climbing stars, or simply when you run to catch a bus or a train. All you need to do is purse your lips (as if you were going to whistle and breather out) and then exhale through your mouth for the count of 5 or 6. This technique helps to remove any Carbon Dioxide that is trapped in your lungs and forces you to breathe slower,which in turn makes your breath more intense. Scientific research has shown that this technique can really help people who have breathlessness, anxiety or long-term lung conditions.
Diagrammatic breathing exercise
This exercise is also known as a belly breathing exercise. It focuses on your diaphragm muscle known to focus on the diaphragm muscle (located below your lungs) and is one of the important muscles involved in the breathing cycle. All you need to do is place your hands on the upper part of the belly, take a deep breath in through your nose (just feel the movement of the tummy), hold for a count of 2 or 3 and then slowly breathe out through the mouth. Do this 8-10 times. It helps you fill you lungs much more effectively with oxygen. 2-3 counts, and now slowly exhale through the mot. Continue this for minimum of 8-10 repetitions. This technique will help in filling your lungs more effectively with oxygen.
Active Cycle Breathing Technique
This technique is generally practised to clear out any secretions (fluid that has built up, such as phlegm) and improve the lung function. There are three main parts of this technique.
The above exercises are a simple way to boost your lung function! If you need to know more, then please come and visit our Sittingbourne or Maidstone Physiotherapy Clinics!
What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
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- Rebecca King, 3 months ago
"I have just had my third session with Xavier and am beyond delighted with my experience of Xcel Health. Xavier is a tremendous physio but what has struck me most about the whole process is the welcoming nature of the entire team.The guys clearly care about the mental health side as much as the physical and are easy to talk to and extremely empathetic.I would recommend Xcel to anybody, outstanding service!"
- Danny Essen, 3 months ago
"I was pretty confident I knew what the problem was when I arrived for my first appointment. It turned out to be something completely different.Xavier explained everything really well without going too technical. I like to understand what’s going on and how to fix it so it was really refreshing that Xavier did that without needing to ask him. I have exercises to help support my recovery but not just a bit of paper or a video to watch, Xavier asked me to do each exercise before I left so that I could feel what muscles I’m trying to engage and He could make adjustments to my positioning so that I get the most out of my effort."
- louisajayne, 3 months ago