6 Ways to Help You Take Care of Your Lungs

[gerald]

Nothing breand new here but some nice reminders

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6 Ways to Help You Take Care of Your Lungs

We tend to take our lungs for granted, that is until we develop breathing difficulties. But even when living with a chronic lung disease, it is even more important to look after these vital organs as best we can. The Rush University Medical Center has some useful advice to help keep your lungs as healthy as possible.


Change the way you breathe.
Most people tend to breathe in shallow breaths, not filling up the entire lung with air. Deep breathing and diaphragmatic breathing allow the lungs to fully inflate and deflate, helping to increase lung capacity and get more oxygen into the blood stream. Counting your breaths helps you determine how long you can inhale and exhale for which can also improve lung function. Try to match the time it takes to exhale with the time it takes to inhale, that way know you have emptied your lungs fully. Try to extend the amount of time it takes to inhale and exhale for maximum benefit.

Adopt good posture.
Allow your lungs the space they need to fully inflate and deflate by sitting and standing up straight. Hunching over pushes the stomach and other organs into the lungs. Sitting straight with your hands above your head, or leaning back and pushing out your chest from time to time will give your lungs extra room.


Drink lots of water.
Your lungs need water as much as the rest of your body. Staying hydrated helps the mucus lining in the lungs stay thin, which helps them perform better. If the mucus becomes too thick, it can lead to lung infections.

Laugh a lot.
Like the soul, laughing is good for the lungs. The action of laughing gives your abdomen and diaphragm a workout. Deep belly laughs help to force out stale air from the lungs.


Stay physically active.
Moderate exercise is excellent for maintaining lung health. Your lungs will thank you for just 20 minutes a day of exercise that leaves you slightly short of breath, like fast walking or cycling.

Join a breathers’ club.
The Better Breathers Club (which is run by the American Lung Foundation) is great for people who have compromised lung health. Pulmonary rehabilitation can also help to improve lung function for those living with lung diseases.

copdnewstoday.com/2017/06/29/6-ways-help-take-care-lungs-2/

[lavishgail]

Great read, thank you Gerald!

[joany]

Thanks.  Good reminders. 

[jarca]

good advice....i need to work on that 'shallow breathing'----i find myself 'lazy breathing' often now days.
good advice!

[jade]

Adopt good posture,working on that

[annamartes]

I have heard singing helps, too. :-)

[spike99]

One of the best things for me is STOP Smoking.

After that, I started blowing up balloons every day - which forces deep breathing.

And, I started having 20-40 minute naps after meals. And if my body needed more sleep time, it took it.

I also found the way I react to stress dramatically helps as well. What I don't get done today might get done tomorrow. And, I now listen to my racing turtle more often. re: If it's too hot or too wet to get something done today, then "have a rest" - it will get done another day. Life no longer needs to be fast race (which forces self made internal body stress - and stress tightening of the chest).

These items dramatically helped for me as well.

[John]

Good one spike Thank You  thankyou

[annamartes]

Spike you made me laugh and laughter is good medicine. Had not considered blowing up balloons!

[lavishgail]

Haha Me too Spike!, Great idea here. Also when eating, eat very slow, so you don't choke on youre food or breath it quickly down to your lungs. This has happened to me and it's very scary!

[sharon]

I heard playing a harmonica is good breathing exercise. I try to walk everyday, but I have to stop sometimes cause of shortness of breath. But its not slightly ,I get slightly sob all the time, but need to stop because I get like completely out of breath. But still try to get some exercise in.

[lavishgail]

Sharon I play the harmonica, but I get out of breath so easily it's not like it used to be when I played. I used to stand up and play with bands and all kinds of things sing was one of my favorite I used to sing with the band around here and play my harmonica, now I only do it once in awhile and if I'm called in with a band I'll do it even if I have to bring my oxygen bad on take a few breaths beforehand and after but I just love to sing and play my harmonica whether it be good or not I love it great idea Sharon.