10 Breathing Exercises And Their Advantages
Benefits of breathing exercise are that it can boost power of your lungs to inhale fresh oxygen. And it is necessary to strengthen your lungs so your body gets smooth supply of oxygen from lungs. Also, the breathing exercises will help reduce anxiety and depression. They can even help in weight control.
Here’re 10 breathing exercise & their benefits that can help strengthen the breathing capacity of your lungs
Abdominal Breathing Exercise
It is an excellent breathing exercise that you can practice comfortably in your home. Simply sit and relax and do abdominal breathing.
How To:
• Lie on your back and put your one hand on the abdomen and the other on the chest
• Take a deep breath from your nose, hold, and exhale from your mouth
• Squeeze your abdominal muscles to empty your lungs of any residual trapped in the lungs
• Do it 10 times and change your position
• Sit down with your back straight and shoulders relaxed and repeat abdominal breathing
• Do 5 minutes every day
Rib Stretch
Strengthen your ribs to inhale as much oxygen as you can. This exercise will help your ribs to expand and contract while you inhale and exhale oxygen.
How To:
• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands on your waist
• Take a deep breath, hold it for up to 15 seconds, and then exhale slowly
• Raise your right hand over your head and bend towards your left, hold the position for a while and then come back
• Repeat it with your left hand
• Do 2-5 minutes every day
Numbered Breathing Exercise
This exercise is helpful for COPD patients. Also, it is good for increasing lung capacity.
How To:
• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Take a deep breath from your nose and exhale with pursed lips for a longer time
• Clasp your hands and extend them before your chest
• Take a deep breath and exhale while twisting your hands left and right
• Fold your elbows and put your fingers on your shoulder
• Take a deep breath and exhale while doing set of arm circles
• Do abdominal breathing for one minute and conclude the exercise with forceful breathing
• Do it 5 minutes every day
Oriental Breathing Exercise Benefits
Oriental breath is a good exercise for lungs as well as for losing weight. It can help in losing your weight faster.
How To:
• Stand straight with your right leg before the left leg
• Squeeze your glutes and lean slightly backward
• Inhale slowly and take your arms over your head while inhaling
• Hold the breath and exhale with a force and take your hands down as well
• Repeat it 3-5 times
Pushing Out
This super powerful breathing exercise will increase your increase your lung capacity in a short time.
How To:
• Stand straight with loose knees and shoulders
• Push out all oxygen from your lungs by bending forward
• Start inhaling fresh air and straighten your back while inhaling oxygen
• Fill your lungs as much as possible
• Extend your arms over your head while inhaling
• Hold your breath for a while and exhale
• Again, push out all oxygen by bending forward
• Repeat it 4 times daily
Lung Strengthening Pranayama
It is called anulom-vilom exercise in traditional yoga. But it is a little challenging exercise. But you can achieve perfection with practice.
How To:
• Come down in a lotus position with your back straight
• Close your left nostril with the ring finger of your left hand
• Take a deep breath with the right nostril
• Now close your right nostril with your right thumb
• Release your left ring finger from your left nostril
• Exhales slowly from the left nostril
• Inhale oxygen from your left nostril while keeping right nostril closed
• Now close the left nostril and exhale from your right nostril by releasing your thumb from it
• Do it 10 times
Aerobics
Aerobic exercises involve rhythmic movement of body and makes the lungs work at their optimum capacity. In aerobics, you need to control your breath so your lungs work well. An advantage of aerobics exercise is it straightens heart and lungs. It improves endurance power of the body. With aerobics, you will train your body to inhale more oxygen more efficiently.
How To:
• Take long brisk walks daily or you can walk for 20 minutes on a treadmill, if are short on time
• Buy a stationary bike for exercising at home and practice paddling at home for at least 15 minutes a day
Water-Based Exercises
Swimming is a great exercise because water works as a resistant force against your body. And it helps make your body harder and stronger. Exercising in deep neck water will help strengthen your lungs so you can inhale maximum oxygen without any discomfort. And water-based exercises can help boost the capacity of your lungs.
How To:
• Come in deep neck water like a pool
• Choose weight lifting with light weight
• Or do stretching exercise that you can do free of weight
• Take quick breaths to release compression from your body
• Do these exercises 20 minutes daily
Cardio Exercise
Cardio exercises can do magic for your lungs. These exercises work on the principle of tiring the body so the lungs work faster to keep the body fresh and energized. In this way, cardio exercises boost capacity of lungs. And the good thing is that there are many cardio exercises to choose from and practice.
How To:
• Running at a fast pace
• Jogging in a slow movement
• Swimming
• Do it 20 minutes a day
Workout At High Elevation
Exercising at higher altitude is good for lungs because the lungs have to work harder to inhale oxygen. Low level of oxygen at higher altitudes makes the lungs work harder. But you need to be careful while exercising at high altitudes.
Final Thoughts
Benefits of breathing exercise is that you will feel better by providing fresh oxygen to all your body parts. And you can continue your breathing exercises with regular activities. Also, you can choose a lightweight exercise like aerobics and swimming or any other exercise you are comfortable with.
Disclaimer: Exercising without proper training could be harmful for your health. Always take training and exercise under the supervision of a personal trainer.
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