Every breath you take is crucial for your health. Even though you pay less attention to the process, you should always ensure that you are inhaling and exhaling smoothly and that you can control your breath. Breathing should be easy, and you should get enough clean air. When you inhale, your lungs expand while your diaphragm tightens and vice versa. You can make your breathing better through a number of ways. We are about to uncover the eight simple tips to help you breathe better.
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1. Consume Smaller Meals Often
To breathe better, avoid overeating. You can eat smaller meals more frequently as your day progresses. Eating past the recommended capacity can cause your stomach to bloat and expand, squeezing your lungs in the process.
When your lungs don’t function as effectively as they are supposed to, you experience shortness of breath. Also, cut on your carb intake to save energy, especially if you have COPD.
2. Stop Smoking
Tobacco ruins your health in many ways. It damages your skin, teeth and gums, and respiratory system. COPD can also be caused by environmental pollutants; the main culprit being smoking tobacco.
Quit smoking to save your lungs from damage and infection, and to reduce future harm. Also, avoid second-hand smoke at all costs. In case you have health conditions, arrange with your doctor for oxygen therapy. If you are interested in learning more about oxygen therapy, you can find more information here.
3. Practice Good Posture
Maintaining a good posture frees your respiratory system for it to work effectively. Your chest is able to expand while your diaphragm gets the room to move towards the front and back with ease.
By practicing a good posture, you allow yourself to breathe more efficiently and give room to physical activities in your body associated with breathing.
4. Work Out
COPD can make you feel short of breath and make you decide to abandon exercising. On the contrary, exercising can help you breathe more easily if done correctly. How so?
According to AARC, workouts put your muscles in better shape to utilize oxygen more efficiently. Peddling a bicycle, press-ups, and jogging for a few minutes are few workout ideas you can start with.
5. Watch Your Weight
Should we say watch what you eat? The food you eat contributes to your weight. You might need to lose or gain some, and according to Raed Dweik, people with COPD use a lot of energy that they struggle to gain weight.
On the other side of the coin, shedding some weight can improve breathing for overweight people. Too much weight is like carrying a load around and affects normal breathing. Apart from exercising, eat food rich in fiber, and fewer carbs.
6. Change Your Sleeping Position
Your sleeping posture could be contributing to your breathing problems at night. Sleeping on your belly is not good at all. Instead, sleep on your left-side with your head on the pillow to help clear the way from your nose to the lungs and prevent snoring.
Alternatively, the best way to sleep is on your back with legs and head straight; and palm facing upwards.
7. Perform Breathing Exercises
The two main breathing exercises are pursed-lip breathing and diaphragm breathing. Pursed-lip involves inhaling deeply through the nose while sitting comfortably and breathing through your lips as if you are whistling without forcing the air out. This style helps to regulate your breathing patterns.
Diaphragm breathing involves lying on the back with the knees bent with your hands on the abdomen and upper chest and then using your stomach to breathe. It’s good for strengthening your diaphragm muscle.
8. Meditate
You can be a yogi and meditate more often. You just have to focus on your being including breathing without interfering with it.
Meditation has other benefits like reducing stress, freeing the mind, and boosting mental clarity.
Conclusion
You may never notice when you are breathing well, but if you develop any breathing complications, visit a specialist. Meanwhile, use these tips to better your breathing.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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