Deep breath, new life: breathing exercises teach you how to improve lung function

introduction

In modern society, due to environmental pollution, accelerated pace of life and increased work pressure, many people's lung function has declined to a certain extent. In order to improve this situation, more and more people have begun to pay attention to and practice breathing exercises, hoping to improve lung function through this simple and easy exercise method.

1Basic principles and physiological mechanisms of breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are mainly based on the principle of deep breathing. By consciously deepening your breathing, you can inhale more air into your lungs, thereby accumulating more oxygen in your lungs. This deep breathing behavior can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, help lower your heart rate, reduce stress, and thus improve your cardiopulmonary function. From a physiological mechanism perspective, deep breathing can increase lung ventilation and improve blood oxygen saturation, thereby improving oxygen supply to tissues and organs. In addition, deep breathing can promote blood circulation in the lungs, accelerate lung metabolism, help clear lung garbage and toxins, and keep the lungs healthy.

2 Specific practices and techniques of breathing exercises

2.1 Lip pursing breathing exercise

When practicing pursed lip breathing, the practitioner needs to take a deep breath to the maximum, then hold the breath for a moment, and then slowly exhale with the lips pursed into a whistle shape. During this process, it is important to keep the breathing steady and even, and avoid excessive force or holding the breath. Pursed lip breathing can prolong the exhalation time, increase the airway pressure, help reduce the residual volume, and improve the efficiency of gas exchange in the lungs.

2.2 Abdominal breathing training

Abdominal breathing is a more in-depth breathing method. It requires the practitioner to place one hand on the abdomen while relaxing the whole body, slowly inhale deeply through the nose, and feel the abdomen bulge; then slowly exhale the air, and the abdomen will sink. When performing abdominal breathing, make sure that the breathing is natural and smooth, and do not deliberately force or hold your breath. Abdominal breathing can more effectively utilize lung capacity, enhance the strength and endurance of the diaphragm, and thus increase lung ventilation and blood oxygen saturation.

2.3 Inspiratory resistance breathing training

Inspiratory resistance breathing training is a method of training the respiratory muscles by increasing the inspiratory resistance. Practitioners need to use a specific inspiratory resistance to train, and exercise the strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles by controlling the inspiratory volume and inspiratory time. This method can help individuals better cope with various situations that require deep breathing in daily life, such as sports, speeches, etc.

3 Positive effects of breathing exercises on lung function

Regular breathing exercises can significantly improve lung function, specifically:

3.1 Enhance lung capacity

Deep breathing exercises have a significant effect on increasing lung capacity. By performing breathing exercises, especially deep breathing movements, the lungs are able to inhale more air and store it in the chest cavity. This process not only stretches and exercises the lung tissue, but also effectively improves the elasticity and capacity of the alveoli, thereby increasing overall lung capacity. This type of exercise not only helps individuals better cope with oxygen needs in daily activities, but also improves physical endurance and athletic performance to a certain extent.

3.2 Improved gas exchange

Breathing exercises have a significant effect on improving gas exchange. By slowing down the breathing rate, breathing exercises provide the lungs with more time to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. This pattern of deep breathing and slow breathing allows for more complete gas exchange in the alveoli, thereby effectively increasing blood oxygen saturation. Increased blood oxygen saturation means that the body's tissues can get more oxygen supply, which helps maintain the body's normal physiological functions.

3.3 Prevent respiratory diseases

Deep breathing plays an important role in preventing respiratory diseases. Through deep breathing exercises, the lungs can perform their self-cleaning function more effectively, which helps to remove harmful substances and garbage deposited in the alveoli and respiratory tract. Keeping the respiratory tract clean is essential to reduce the breeding of bacteria and viruses, which can significantly reduce the risk of respiratory infections.

Conclusion:

As a simple and easy exercise method that does not require professional equipment, breathing exercises have a significant effect in improving and enhancing lung function. Through continuous exercise, it can not only enhance lung capacity, improve gas exchange efficiency, and prevent respiratory diseases, but also reduce heart rate, reduce stress, improve sleep quality and other health problems to a certain extent. Therefore, it is recommended that the public, especially those with poor lung function or those who are in a high-pressure environment for a long time, regularly perform breathing exercises to maintain lung health and enjoy the new quality of life brought by deep breathing.

Author: Li Jing , Beijing Civil Aviation General Hospital