Spending 30 minutes walking, at least 5 days a week can increase breathing rate and blood circulation, improve lung capacity, making this organ healthier.
The lungs provide oxygen and energy to the body and remove carbon dioxide (CO2). In people with lung diseases such as pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease… the ventilation and elasticity of the lung alveoli are reduced, hindering the gas exchange process.
When you participate in physical activities such as brisk walking, yoga, or jogging, your heart and muscles work harder, causing your body to increase its need for oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide. To adapt, your breathing rate can increase from about 15 times per minute (12 liters of air) at rest to about 40-60 times per minute (100 liters of air) during exercise. At the same time, your circulatory system also speeds up to deliver oxygen to your muscles to help them maintain movement.
Master, Doctor Than Thi Ngoc Lan, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that increased breathing rate and blood circulation when walking can detoxify the lungs, eliminate excess CO2, and clean this organ. The process of expansion and contraction of the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs also accelerates the activity of the air sacs, increases the strength of inhalation and exhalation, and improves physical strength. This supports rehabilitation and improves lung capacity, reduces symptoms of shortness of breath, and increases the ability to exercise. This habit also helps control high blood pressure – a condition that often accompanies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Overweight, obese people with excess abdominal fat are likely to have inhibited contraction of the diaphragm, limiting lung expansion, causing difficulty breathing. Fat accumulated in the neck, around the tongue and palate reduces muscle tone in the throat, causing the airway to narrow and become blocked, increasing the risk of sleep apnea. Maintaining this exercise can burn stored fat, increase metabolism, thereby improving weight and difficulty breathing.
Regular walking also releases endorphins – chemicals in the brain that have a calming effect on the body, reduce stress, and reduce cigarette cravings. Research from the University of Exeter, UK, shows that walking briskly for 15 minutes helps reduce cigarette cravings, increases the time between cigarettes, and reduces the risk of affecting lung health or making lung disease worse due to this bad habit.
Walking 30 minutes a day helps improve lung health. Photo: seagulls
People with lung disease can spend 20-30 minutes walking about 3-4 days a week. Healthy people can walk at a speed of 4-6 km per hour, maintaining 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. Dr. Lan advises that before walking, people with lung disease should talk to a respiratory specialist to know the time and intensity of exercise, and how to use medication appropriate to their physical condition. For example, people with asthma may experience increased bronchial reactivity, airway obstruction after exercise. Some people may need to take bronchodilators 10 minutes before exercise.
Avoid exercising in high traffic areas or when air quality is poor. Only walk outdoors in warm weather, as dry, cold air can trigger or aggravate respiratory symptoms. Start exercising moderately, and if you feel short of breath, stop and rest before continuing. Avoid overexertion, which can put pressure on the lungs and have the opposite effect.
Dr. Lan noted that walking exercises are not a substitute for medication. Respiratory patients need to be treated with different regimens, focusing on combining many measures such as using medication according to the doctor’s instructions and getting full vaccinations. Patients need to eat and live a healthy lifestyle (quit smoking and drinking). When there are unusual or persistent symptoms, patients need to see a doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Trinh Mai
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