While we have spoken a lot about achieving deep breathing states and using the proper techniques to enhance your wellbeing, the crucial aspects of breathing will always be dependent on one thing - your lungs.
Lung capacity is critical to a fulfilling life and can be compromised in various ways that go beyond simply smoking. For example, suppose you’re having trouble breathing deeply or feeling difficulty going through some of the breathing exercises we’ve detailed before. In that case, it might be time to address your lung capacity as a possible fault.
So, while it’s essential to see a doctor to properly assess your lung capacity and give you an accurate idea of where you are, it’s probably a good idea to help address your lung capacity by engaging in a few helpful activities and behaviors that can help increase it. Even better, many of these activities help improve your ability to perform many breathing exercises effectively!
In today’s blog, we’re going to be exploring some of the best ways that you can naturally improve your lung capacity and take your breathing exercises to a whole new level.
Read on!
Stop Smoking
Ok, so it’s probably the most obvious reason, which means it’s almost certainly worth covering first. To put it briefly, smoking damages your lungs and causes all kinds of problems in both the short and long term for your body. Usually, it leads to the formation of cancer but can also profoundly affect the respiratory system.
One of the first signs of damage caused by a smoking habit is, you guessed it, reduced lung capacity. So, stop smoking and you’ll be able to reap the benefits, with lung capacity usually improving dramatically once you manage to get rid of the cigarettes.
Vitamin D
Recent studies have shown that lung capacity can be improved by addressing a possible deficiency of Vitamin D in the system.
Vitamin D is absorbed mainly by the body from sunshine, so this should be pretty easy if you live in a sunny part of the country. In saying that, though, deficiencies in Vitamin D have gone up a lot recently as indoor living has become more a more part of daily life.
Exercise
Funnily enough, one of the best ways to improve your breathing exercises is to do more exercise.
Regular active exercise can be a massive boon to your lung capacity, such as walking, jogging, weight lifting, or yoga. Your body is essentially forced to make changes to your physiology as you improve your fitness. One of the key ways it does this is by improving your lung capacity to allow more oxygen to enter your system, allowing you to perform to a higher standard.
So, dust off those jogging sneakers and hit the pavement! Your lungs will thank you for it.
Posture Perfect
Lousy posture is commonly linked with reduced lung capacity, with your lungs having a more challenging time filling up with oxygen as the weight of a slumped torso presses against them. So, do yourself a favor and work to improve your posture as best as you can.
For more information regarding how to manage your breathing for a more effective lifestyle, visit our other blogs here at The Exhale to get the latest tips and tricks. For free guided breathing exercises that you can take anywhere, try out the Breathwrk app here.
And remember: Breathe Better, Live Better.
Ciao!
