Utah Valley is known for its beautiful, looming mountains and peaks, good food, good music, and good people. And then…its inversion. Utah Valley’s air was ranked the “most polluted” in the entire country in 2009. Such pollution can be extremely hazardous to your lungs, causing respiratory illness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or heart disease. Don’t worry though! You needn’t be lost in the smog! Here are 10 ways you can have healthier lungs:
Deep Breathing
Deep breathing helps to expand the lungs, which can help you reach full capacity.
As you inhale, focus on expanding your stomach while lowering your diaphragm. Expand your rib cage and then let your upper chest rise. Finally, exhale completely, pushing yourself to exhale more than normal. This will help you cleanse your lungs and expel unwanted, lingering toxins.
Draw A Diaphragm
Basically, breathe more through your diaphragm. This technique is frequently used by those who experience lung problems such as asthma or bronchitis, but can be a good way to increase your lung health.
Follow the same steps from “Deep Breathing” above, but place added concentration on your diaphragm. By emphasizing the role of the diaphragm, you get a much deeper inhale. Singers also use this technique to increase their lung capacity.
Lengthen Your Breaths
You can increase lung capacity by lengthening your breaths.
Start by counting the time it takes to take a breath naturally. If a breath takes six seconds to inhale, it should also take you six seconds to exhale. Ensure that both ends of the breath, inhaling and exhaling, are equal.
Once you know how long your breaths take, try to add one more count to each inhale and exhale. As you continue this technique, over time you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable taking longer breaths. This indicates an increase in lung capacity.
Watch Your Posture
In order to make more room for your lungs, consider stretching every once in a while. Reaching up high over your head and sitting tall will help give your lungs some needed space. As you perform these stretches, make sure to breathe deeply to increase the value you get from the exercise.
Stay Active
By participating in cardiovascular activities every day, your lungs will cleanse themselves and you’ll be in a better mood. Biking, running, and hiking are great ways to increase lung capacity and detoxify. Swimmers, however, have up to three times the lung capacity as the average person.
Laugh It Out
They say laughter is the best medicine and we can’t argue against it.
Laughing forces your lungs to remove stale air, allowing the fresh air to fill in more space.
Hydrate, Hyrdrate, Hydrate
If you haven’t heard already, water is one of the most important things for your body. Everything works more fluidly (pun intended) when there is more water in the body. Your lungs are no exception.
Water helps mucosal linings keep their thinness. Thin linings translate into better lung function.
Is There A Doctor in The House?
In addition to doing these things, there are some symptoms you should watch out for. Contact your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Breathing pain
- Persistent cough
- Wheezing
- Pain in the Airway
- Dizziness
- Heavy chest
Your doctor will know what activities are best suited for your needs.
Or call us at 801-724-9840.