6 Breathing Exercises To Strengthen Lungs

We all know the importance of the lungs. Lungs are the largest organ in our body, which helps to provide oxygen to blood and filter out carbon dioxide. Every time we breathe our lungs get filled with oxygen, they remove all the harmful particles which we have inhaled from the environment and pass on the filtered and clean oxygen. So, how to keep lungs healthy at home: Breathing exercise. Yes, with the help of some breathing exercise we can increase our lung capacity and keep them fit and healthy.

In this COVID Pandemic, where it is affecting our lungs, it has become very important to keep our lungs healthy. One of the ways to do this is to quit smoking. Many lungs problems are caused due to excessive smoking. Breathing exercises help to increase energy in our body and decrease stress and anxiety. So, let’s check out the exercises which help to keep our lungs healthy and active.

# Belly Breathing Exercise

Belly breathing specially focuses on strengthening your diaphragm muscle. Diaphragm muscle allows a person to take deep breath.

- Lie down flat on the ground.
- Keep some pillows under your knees and neck.
- Rest your hand or any lightweight object on stomach.
- Breathe in slowly through the nose, and notice how far your stomach goes.
- Exhale through mouth.
- Again inhale, and try to get your stomach higher than the previous breath.
- Exhale with mouth, your every exhale should be longer than the previous exhale.
- Do it for atleast 5 minutes.

# Humming Breath Exercise

This creates a vibration in your body and relieves you from stress and anxiety.

- Sit by folding your legs.
- Close your eyes and ears with the help of fingers.
- Now produce humming noise.
- The humming noise should be felt in your entire body.

# Pushing Out Exercise

One simple stretching exercise, which you must be performing daily with your routine.

- Stand properly with your feet together on a flat ground.
- Inhale by bending little backwards and your hand above your head.
- Exhale and bend downwards from your waist.
- Try to touch your feet with your hand.
- This will help to push out the air from your lungs.

# Rib Stretch

Just as the name tells Rib Stretch, it does what it says. Rib stretch means stretching or expanding your ribs, so that your lungs capacity increases. This exercise helps to take you more air into the lungs and exhale fully so that the stale air does not build up or stays in your lungs.

- Stand in an upright position with your hands on your hips.
- Slowly, inhale the air until your lungs are completely filled.
- Hold the breath for about 20 seconds or however long you can hold.
- Then exhale slowly. Relax, and repeat it three times.

# Anulom-Vilom

One of the simple breathing exercise, which helps to clear out the toxins from your body and helps your lungs to work in a better way. This exercise should be done in a warm up way, before performing any other exercise.

- Sit comfortably in a position you like.
- Now close your left nostril and breathe through your right one.
- Then close your right nostril and breathe out through your left one.
- Now, inhale through left and exhale through right.
- Continue this alternate nostril breathing to clear the airways.

# Cardio Vascular Exercise

There are many cardio exercises which you can perform. Like jumping jack, squat jump, lunges etc. All of these are done to inhale fresh air and they are very helpful if you are trying to quit.