Are You Breathing Correctly?

Let’s face it; we all need to breathe so that we can survive! The trouble is, some of us aren’t that great at taking care of our bodies, and so our lungs become inefficient and ineffective. Eventually, we could end up with a plethora of medical problems and conditions.

It’s not all bad news because it’s possible to reverse the situation and improve our breathing. Doing so means we can lead longer and healthier lives. So, what is it about the way that we breathe that is wrong? After all; we just inhale and exhale, right? Well, that’s the basic premise of how to breathe! But, some of our healthy lifestyle choices (or lack of them) can affect the efficiency of our lungs.

Keep reading to learn more about what you can do today to start improving the flow of air into your body.

Get a medical checkup

We run to the doctor’s office if our child even sneezes 5 times a day, but we’d procrastinate for over a year to get our own physicals done. Sounds familiar, right? Before you do anything, it’s vital that you first talk to your doctor about getting a medical. A health check is essential to diagnosing any underlying medical conditions that you might have that could affect your breathing. Did you know that many people don’t realize they might have conditions such as asthma and not even know about it? Once your doctor says that you have passed your medical with flying colors, you can continue with the other strategies outlined below.

Quit Smoking

Despite the public awareness about what smoking can do to your health, millions of us still choose to puff away. If you’ve been a smoker for a long time, it’s likely you’ll find it hard to breathe sometimes, especially when you need to do certain physical activities.

You may think that giving up smoking is about as easy as winning the lottery jackpot, but it’s not as hard as you anticipate. For a start, there are plenty of local and online support groups that can help you. Even your doctor can work on a strategy with you to quit smoking.

It’s also possible to use e-cigarettes so that you can wean yourself off your nicotine addiction over time without going cold turkey. You can buy an e-cigarette locally, and the vendor can demonstrate to you how they work. Find a store near you to learn more about e-cigarettes and “vaping” in general.

Fit in exercise around your daily routines

Another way to improve your breathing is by giving your body a workout on a regular basis. Some health enthusiasts will tell you that you need to hit the gym several times a week and spend a few hours down there at each session.

The truth is, you can add in all kinds of exercises into your daily routine without compromising on anything else that you do each day. Nor do you even need to sign up to a gym!

For example, if you have a pet dog, you could take it for a 15-minute walk each morning and evening before you go to work and when you return home. You might even decide that you could wake up super early in the morning and go for a swim down the beach or at your local fitness center.

Drink plenty of water

Last, but not least, make sure that you drink several glasses of water each day. Doing so thins the mucus consistency that lines your lungs, making it easier to breathe. You also stave off dehydration, making you more mentally alert!

Practise Pranayama (Yoga)
Last, but not the least, try using correct breathing techniques to maximize the amount of oxygen that your lungs receive. There are several Yoga techniques that teach you how to do this. It’s not only essential for healthy living, but also to fight allergies, anxiety, stress and depression. Here’s a useful site that shows the right way to do Pranayama
https://www.doyogawithme.com/yoga_breathing

We breathe in and breathe out at least 30 times per minute, but we hardly take time to realize how we breathe. I hope this article will help you get attuned to this important activity and make life a bit better for yourself!