Watch Your Breath: Activities that Improve Lung Health

For most people, it takes a breathing problem for them to realize the importance of healthy lungs. It’s the organ that provides oxygen to your body and safeguards the performance of your other organs by getting rid of carbon dioxide. It can act as a protective cushion for your heart in case of collision, averts certain infections, and acts as a blood reservoir during specific activities. When your lung health is compromised, your quality of life dramatically decreases. Worse, it can shorten your lifespan.

The good news is that it doesn’t take any expensive gadget or complex methodology to care for it. There are small habits and practices you do daily that contribute to its deterioration which, if you reverse, can lead to tremendous health benefits.

Watch Your Posture

Your posture, whether in sitting, standing, or lying down can affect your lungs in many ways. The length of your diaphragm, which is a respiratory muscle, alters with your body position. Studies show that poor posture is responsible for reduced lung capacity.

This problem became prevalent with the prominence of smartphones. Non-neutral neck posture developed through the extensive use of smartphones and similar gadgets also contributes to the problem. The same goes for those who spend too much time seated. When the head leans forward and the shoulders are rounded, the chest muscles tighten. This results in shallow breathing because the rib cage can’t expand.

A good posture, at its core, is one that doesn’t strain your back regardless of your tasks. Simply being aware of how you sit, stand, lie down, or go about other menial tasks can help you breathe better.

Sing Your Heart Out

You don’t have to jog around Florida five days a week to improve your lung health, although that would surely be of great help. You can simply sing your heart out at home and that will give it the exercise it needs. This will, in turn, strengthen your diaphragm and improve circulation. Out of any other exercise, singing requires the most amount of oxygen.

At the same time, however, straining your vocal cords could be harmful. A good solution would be to sign up for vocal lessons. There are music schools you can attend, which will benefit not only your lungs but your overall health as well. Learning proper techniques will improve your posture, relieves stress, and acts as a natural anti-depressant.

You may not have what it takes to win a Grammys, but at least you can breathe well and carry a tune.

Laugh It Off

This one is an advice you might not be expecting, but it should make sense without expounding on it too much. If you’ve ever watched an SNL skit or binged on Friends, then you’ve exercised your lungs to the point of breathlessness.

Laughing tightens your chest and abdominal muscles, as well as your diaphragm. This forces your lungs to work harder and push out stale air, which enables fresh air to seep deeper. The Canadian Lung Association deduces that laughter makes your exhalations more effective.

Lung Care is Simple

Staying healthy shouldn’t be complex. When you’re aware of how your actions affect your health, it becomes easier to get rid of bad practices and develop new ones. For now, make sure you improve your posture, sing as well as you can, and laugh as much as you want for the sake of healthy lungs.