While no breathing exercise can completely protect you from the harmful effects of pollution, certain exercises can help improve lung function and capacity. When combined with general measures to reduce exposure to pollutants, these exercises can help promote overall respiratory health. Here are some breathing exercises to consider:
1. Deep Breathing or Diaphragmatic Breathing:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, allowing your abdomen to rise (the hand on your chest should remain relatively still).
- Exhale slowly through your mouth or nose.
- Repeat for a few minutes.
2. Box Breathing:
- Inhale for a count of 4.
- Hold the breath for a count of 4.
- Exhale for a count of 4.
- Hold the breath out for a count of 4.
- Repeat for several cycles.
3. Pursed Lip Breathing:
- Inhale through your nose for two counts.
- Exhale through pursed lips for four counts.
- This helps increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the lungs and can also help improve the function of alveoli in the lungs.
4. Buteyko Breathing Technique:
- Sit comfortably with your spine straight.
- Close your eyes and focus on your natural breathing.
- Gradually reduce the volume of each breath, making it softer and more silent.
- Try to maintain this reduced breath volume for several minutes.
- The idea is to breathe lightly, through the nose, engaging the diaphragm.
5. Lion’s Breath:
- Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- As you exhale, open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and make a "ha" sound as you breathe out
- This can help release tension in the chest and face.
6. Alternate Nostril Breathing:
- Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
- Using your right thumb, close off your right nostril.
- Inhale deeply through your left nostril.
- Close your left nostril with your right ring finger and release your right nostril.
- Exhale through your right nostril.
- Inhale through your right nostril.
- Close your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril.
- This completes one cycle. Do for several cycles.
General Measures to Combat Pollution:-
- Stay Informed: Keep an eye on air quality reports for your area, especially if you're in a city prone to high pollution levels
- Stay Indoors: On days when pollution levels are particularly high, it's best to stay indoors as much as possible.
- Use Air Purifiers: If you live in an area with consistent pollution, consider investing in a good quality air purifier.
- Ventilate: Ensure that your living space is well-ventilated to prevent the buildup of indoor pollutants.
- Face Masks: In heavily polluted areas, consider wearing masks specifically designed for filtering out particulate matter.
Remember, while breathing exercises can aid in lung function and resilience, they are not a substitute for clean air. It's crucial to reduce exposure to pollutants and advocate for measures to improve air quality. If you have respiratory issues or health concerns related to pollution, consult a healthcare professional.