Practicing yoga helps regulate breathing and blood circulation, thereby improving respiratory function, while swimming reduces airway irritation and is good for lung health.
Regular exercise improves overall health, keeping your lungs healthy. When exercising, the muscles have to work harder, increasing the body’s breathing rate, thereby providing more oxygen to the muscles. Exercise also improves circulation, which helps remove excess carbon dioxide. People with lung disease or asthma should consult a specialist before performing the exercises.
Cough under control
Controlled coughing is the body’s way of naturally eliminating toxins trapped in mucus. People with lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) perform this exercise to help clean their lungs.
How to do it: Sit down in a chair, relax your shoulders, keep your feet flat on the floor, cross your arms in front of your stomach, and inhale slowly through your nose. Then slowly exhale while leaning forward, push your arms into your stomach, cough two or three times while exhaling, inhale slowly through your nose. Rest and repeat the movement.
Practice breathing
Some breathing exercises can improve lung function, especially for people who have smoked or have lung damage due to chronic lung disease. Breathing exercises are easy to perform and do not require the use of assistive devices, including pursed-lip breathing, belly breathing…
How to do it: Pursed-lip breathing warms the air before it enters the body, making it easier for the lungs to purify. The practitioner begins by pursing his lips and inhaling for two seconds. Exhale for 4 seconds, keeping your lips pursed. Continue breathing this way for 1-2 minutes. Repeat continuously 6-7 times or more depending on time conditions.
Swim
This is a good exercise to improve lung health. The respiratory tract is often susceptible to dryness when we breathe more rapidly and more during exercise, which can lead to asthma symptoms. Swimming helps breathe a lot of moist air, slows down the drying process of the respiratory tract, reduces airway irritation, and is good for lung health.
Yoga
Yoga contributes to reducing fatigue and repelling negative emotions. Many movements of this discipline promote breathing regulation, chest expansion, increased ventilation and blood circulation, thereby improving respiratory function. For example, bridge pose is a classic yoga move that helps open the chest and breathe deeper.
How to do bridge pose: Lie on your back, place your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, place your hands on the floor, palms facing down. Inhale and move your pelvis up, keeping your shoulders and head flat, take a few deep breaths. Slowly lower your pelvis to the floor.
Bow pose helps eliminate toxins from the lungs, helps firm chest muscles, and can be done anytime, anywhere. To do this, lie on your stomach and bend your knees toward your hips, holding your ankles with your hands. Lift your legs and arms as high as you can, keeping your face up. Stay in this position for as long as possible