7 Practical Tips to Keep Your Lungs Healthy
The lungs play an essential role in keeping us healthy and strong. Like any other organ, your lungs need daily care and attention. Lungs help you breathe and feed oxygen to every cell of your body. When your lung health gets affected, you may experience breathing problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other health problems.
In your daily life, at rest, or during everyday activities, your lungs use only 50% of their capacity. This means regular day to day activities are not enough for the lungs to use their full power. Also, smoking, dust, and environmental pollutants lead to toxin build-up harming your lungs’ health.
Let us shed some light on ways you can improve your lungs’ health and keep them more vital throughout your life.
7 Tips to Improve Your Lung Health
According to research studies, staying active, breathing fresh air, and exercise can prevent or delay the occurrence of lung diseases. Experts advise that engaging in 30 minutes of a moderate-intensity workout session in addition to your daily routine can significantly benefit your lungs.
Follow these tips to keep your lungs healthy:
1. Avoid Smoking
We all know that smoking is detrimental to our lungs. Smoking destroys your lung tissue, increases mucus, and clogs the airway. This reduces the oxygen supply to all the parts of your body.
According to the CDC, smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to develop the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and carry an increased risk of lung cancer.
Irrespective of your age or period of smoking, quitting can help. According to the American Lung Association, within 12 to 24 hours of quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. Within a year, you experience significant improvement in your health with reduced risk of heart and lung diseases.
It’s not easy to quit smoking, but you can get rid of this habit with the right medication and counseling.
2. Increase Your Lung Capacity With Exercise
Exercise increases the need for oxygen in your body, and to fulfill this requirement, lungs work harder. Your lungs become more efficient, healthy, and strong. During exercise, you breathe faster to supply more oxygen to your muscles. Aerobic exercise increases your lung’s activity leading to removing excess carbon dioxide from your body.
Exercise helps to build strong and healthy lungs. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily, like a brisk walk or run.
3. Avoid Getting Exposed to Pollutants
Exposure to air pollution and air-born irritants cause oxidative stress in the lungs. These pollutants can damage your lungs, and with aging, they become more prone to infections. Avoid passive smoking and take precautions when you are exposed to any contaminants at work or in traffic.
Avoid indoor pollutants by regularly cleaning your house. Allow sunlight and adequate ventilation in your home by opening windows and doors. Using synthetic aromas or air fresheners can expose you to unwanted chemicals. Natural products and adequate ventilation can help you keep your lungs healthy.
4. Protect Yourself Against Infections
Aging and underlying lung diseases increase the risk of infections. Practicing good hygiene habits, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and drinking lots of water can boost your immune system.
Foods like green veggies, nuts, turmeric, and cherries can help to fight infections. According to studies, as mentioned in The Journal of Nutrition, drinking green tea can reduce lung inflammation as it contains antioxidants.
5. Practice Breathing Techniques
The daily practice of deep breathing can significantly improve your vital capacity. Conscious breathing also benefits your mental relaxation by reducing stress.
Deep breathing also helps you reach your lung’s maximum capacity. Conscious breathing expands your ribs and chest. Complete exhalation also activates muscles around your ribs and chest. Gradually try to increase the length of your inhalation and exhalation.
6. Diet for Healthy Lungs
Dietary antioxidants are required to protect against the damaging effect of oxidative stress caused by irritants and respiratory diseases. According to a study published in 2015, antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids, and carotenoids, are abundantly present in fruits and vegetables and nuts, vegetable oils, and cocoa red wine, and green tea, which can significantly benefit your lung health.
Have healthy food for lung health:
- Water- is essential for healthy lungs.
- Fatty fish- is filled with omega3 fatty acids that are associated with lung health. Fish oil and seafood containing omega-3 fatty acids help strengthen your immunity and ward off inflammatory mechanisms involved in COPD, asthma, and other lung diseases.
- Beans- such as kidney beans or black beans may reduce the lung damage caused by free radicals.
- Broccoli- best green vegetable for lung health with high antioxidant property.
- Apricots- contain vitamin A that supports respiratory linings, and lowers the risk of lung infections.
- Apples and citrus fruits- contain vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta carotene that contribute to healthy lungs.
According to studies, vitamin C restores damaged lung tissue and decreases oxidative stress caused by smoke-induced emphysema. Vitamin C-rich whole foods, such as fruit and vegetables, can effectively improve your lung health. It has been linked to helping to treat asthma and also in its prevention.
Certain fruits and vegetables have a protective action on the lungs. Foods that exhibit antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals can significantly benefit respiratory health.
7. Good Posture
Your body posture significantly influences your respiratory function. Slumped, poor posture can reduce your lung capacity and expiratory flow when compared to an upright posture.
In recent years extensive use of smartphones has led to the demonstration of poor posture among many. Studies say that smartphone usage has also resulted in musculoskeletal disorders.
Slumped sitting posture has resulted in increased intra-abdominal pressure, leading to inadequate respiration. A simple technique of sitting in an upright position and breathing deeply can give more room for your lungs.
Bottom Line
Try to incorporate these seven habits into your daily life to support your lung health. By giving little attention to your lungs every day, you can attain optimal lung health.
If you are suffering from any lung disorders, consult your doctor, and get yourself evaluated. Follow these healthy habits to have strong and optimal lungs throughout your life.
Originally published at https://rashmibyakodi.com on November 2, 2020.
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