Have you ever wondered how many breaths you take in your entire lifetime? On average, you take about 675 million breaths in 80 years of life!
Breathing frequency and type are different in different stages of your life depending on age, altitude, pollution levels, smoking, weather, and other factors.
Your lungs are the main organs of respiration as they are responsible for the exchange of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to keep the heart, brain, and overall functioning of your body normal.
Lung function and lung capacity are determined through the efficiency of the exchange of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in your lungs. Any ailments with the lungs (such as respiratory diseases, lung cancer, lung infection) can affect the health of your entire body.
Have you ever thought about keeping your lungs healthy too? You can enhance the lung capacity which means the quantity of air a lung can hold, with certain breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises (also known as Pranayama: Prana means “breath” and ayama means “control”) can help your body make use of all the oxygen inhaled by your lungs in an efficient way.
Here are three simple breathing techniques you can perform every day to strengthen your lung capacity:
1. Pursed Lip Breathing
Pursed lip breathing is a simple technique that lets you slow down your breathing, by allowing more air to get into your lungs and making each breath more effective.
In this technique, you are required to inhale (inspire) through your nose and exhale (expire) through the mouth with lips in a whistling or a blowing position. In this exercise, expiration or exhalation is longer or prolonged than inspiration or inhalation.
Promotes better exchange of gases
Opens up your airways and prevents or relieves hypercapnia (buildup of CO2 in your blood)
Reduces shortness of breath
Slows down your breathing rate due to prolonged exhalation
Improves overall breathing pattern
Promotes relaxation and reduces stress
Step-By-Step Method:
1. Sit in a comfortable position, relax your shoulders and neck. Rest your tongue on the floor of the mouth and close your eyes gently.
2. Inhale through your nose for 2 to 3 seconds, with your mouth closed.
3. Purse your lips just like you do when you blow a candle or when you whistle.
4. Breath out all the air slowly for 4 to 6 seconds. While breathing out, keep a slow and steady breath; don’t breathe out hard.
5. Repeat this for about 5 minutes or for 4 to 5 times a day.
This type of breathing can also be done when you feel a shortness of breath during or after exercise, or any heavy work, which lets plenty of air in and out of the lungs.
Pursed lip breathing is beneficial for people with chronic lung diseases such as COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and chronic bronchitis (inflammation of the airway tubes that carry air to and from the lungs).
2. Diaphragmatic or Abdominal Breathing or Belly Breathing
How often in a day do you pay attention to your breathing patterns? Do you do shallow breathing or deep breathing?
The diaphragm is the main sheet of muscle in between the chest and the abdomen that helps in respiration. But usually, you develop the habit of breathing through the chest, neck, and shoulder muscles which limits the amount of air filling in and out of your lungs.
Belly breathing strengthens the diaphragm and enhances pulmonary efficiency. This technique helps to:
Lower your heart rate and blood pressure
Relieves stress and helps you relax
Improves your body’s ability to tolerate intense exercise
Calms your nervous system
Step-By-Step Method:
1. Lie down on your back on a flat surface with the knees bent or sit comfortably on a chair with your neck, shoulders and head relaxed.
2. Place one hand lightly on your abdomen and the other hand on the chest.
3. Inhale deeply through the nose for 2 to 3 seconds as you fill all the air towards your abdomen.
4. Pay attention to the hand on the abdomen moving up while making sure the hand on the chest is steady and not moving up.
5. Now exhale all the air through your mouth (in pursed lips position) while tightening/pulling your abdomen inwards.
6. While pulling your abdomen in, make sure the hand on your abdomen is moving down.
7. Repeat this exercise for 5 to 10 minutes, about 2 to 3 times a day.
This breathing exercise is also recommended for people with COPD to reduce the symptoms of breathlessness and fatigue.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama)
This is a type of deep and slow breathing in yoga in which inhaling and exhaling happen through alternate nostrils. Long-term practice of this breathing technique improves the total capacity of your lungs while boosting your pulmonary function.
It is also meant to purify the lungs and the circulatory system throughout the body. Alternate nostril breathing helps:
Improve your focus and concentration
Support your lungs and respiratory functions
Clear blocked energies and improve the balance between the left and right hemispheres of your brain
Relieve stress and fatigue
Step-By-Step Method:
1. Sit straight on a flat surface and relax your shoulders and neck.
2. Take a couple of deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
3. Fold the index and middle fingers of your right hand and make the Vishnu Mudra (Universal Balance Gesture). Close the right nostril with your right thumb and the left nostril with your ring finger.
4. First, close the right nostril and slowly exhale through the left nostril.
5. Keep the right nostril closed and slowly inhale through the left nostril and feel all the air going upwards while filling all the air deep down till the abdomen.
6. Once you complete an inhalation, pause or hold your breath briefly for 2 seconds.
7. Gently close the left nostril with your ring finger and release your thumb to open the right nostril.
8. Exhale out all the air through your right nostril and pause for 2 seconds in the end.
9. Keeping the left nostril closed with your ring finger, inhale slowly through the right nostril, letting all the air into the right side of your body. Hold or pause again for 2 seconds.
10. Again, close the right nostril with your thumb and release your ring finger to open the left nostril to exhale out the air.
This is considered as one round of alternate nostril breathing. Repeat the same on the opposite side and do this pattern for 5 to 10 minutes, once a day.
Traditionally, the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama works with a fixed breath ratio - 4 count inhale, 4 count hold or pause, and 8 counts exhale.
Practicing one or more of these breathing exercises under the right guidance will strengthen your lungs and enhance your lung capacity significantly. It is advisable to do these breathing exercises on an empty stomach. These are short and quick yet one of the most effective ways to keep your lungs healthy and boost your immunity.
Practice these techniques only after consulting a trained professional who can teach you the right counts for inhalation and exhalation, to reap maximum benefits.
Disclaimer: This article is written by the Practitioner for informational and educational purposes only. The content presented on this page should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. Please "DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE" and seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Practo will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.