This will immediately reduce the amount of air you will need to breathe in and out for a given exercise. Training also improves your circulation and strengthens your heart. Exercise will improve your overall physical and psychological well-being.
It can decrease the risk of developing other conditions such as stroke, heart disease and depression. Regular exercise is also one of the most important interventions to prevent the onset of type-II diabetes.
The most important thing to do to keep your lungs healthy is to look after them. Smoking will affect your ability to undertake physical activity and reach your true potential. If you quit smoking, you are likely to be able to exercise for longer as early as two weeks after your last cigarette. People who follow high-intensity training regimes, or who regularly train in certain environments, may be at risk of developing exercise-induced asthma, or a condition known as bronchial hyperresponsiveness in which the airways become blocked after exercise.
If take bronchodilators, you should normally take these 10 minutes before you exercise to prevent exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Your doctor can give you advice on this. Scientists believe this is caused by harmful substances in the environment in which they are training, such as chlorine in a swimming pool, or cold dry air on a ski slope.
Endurance athletes have the potential to inhale more harmful substances into their lungs, as they are exposed to these conditions for longer periods of time. It is important that you are aware of the symptoms associated with lung problems, such as cough, shortness of breath or fatigue, and that you see your doctor about them as soon as possible.
When you visit the doctor, you may be asked to take a spirometry test. This tests your breathing and can help in the diagnosis of lung problems. You will be asked to breathe into a device that measures the amount of air in your lungs and how fast you can breathe out.
Our spirometry factsheet provides more information on the test. You may also be asked to take an exercise test to measure your limitations. People with long-term lung conditions can help improve their symptoms through regular exercise. If you have a long-term lung condition, the thought of becoming quickly out of breath can be daunting and you may not feel motivated to exercise. It can be tempting to avoid exercise because you think it will make you breathless, but if you do less activity you become less fit and daily activities will become even harder.
It is best to ask the guidance of a doctor or physiotherapist before you begin exercising, to ensure that your exercise plans are in line with your capacity and are safe. All exercise programmes must be built up over time to allow the body to adapt.
It's important that you exercise at your own pace. If you reach a stage where you are too breathless to talk, then slow down the pace or if necessary take a short pause. The more you do, the more you will be able to do! Intermittent exercises can also help you to deal with the shortness of breath. In this case you alternate brief exercise, lasting 1—2 minutes, with moments of rest or slower exercise.
If you have COPD, you will have damaged airways. This means that when you breathe out your airways become narrowed before you have got rid of all the air in your lungs. Many people with COPD find that pursing their lips enables them to breathe out more slowly and effectively.
You may also find it easier to walk with braced arms for example leaning on a shopping stroller, or even by grasping the belt of your trousers. You already know exercise is good for you. You probably think about the way it can boost your fitness, trim your waistline, strengthen you heart and even improve your mood. But did you know that exercise can also help keep your lungs healthy? When you are physically active, your heart and lungs work harder to supply the additional oxygen your muscles demand.
Just like regular exercise makes your muscles stronger, it also makes your lungs and heart stronger. As your physical fitness improves, your body becomes more efficient at getting oxygen into the bloodstream and transporting it to the working muscles. That's one of the reasons that you are less likely to become short of breath during exercise over time.
Some types of exercise can also strengthen the muscles of the neck and chest, including the diaphragm and muscles between the ribs that work together to power inhaling and exhaling. Exercise has lots of benefits for everyone, whether you are young or old, slender or large, able-bodied or living with a chronic illness or disability.
Physical activity can reduce your risk of serious illness, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer, including lung cancer. Being active can help you stay active, by strengthening bones, improving flexibility and agility, reducing weight gain and improving sleep.
Regular exercise is good for your head too. It can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, improve attention and memory, and reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
National guidelines recommend that all adults get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. It doesn't have to be a formal exercise program to be beneficial. Some examples of moderate activity include walking briskly, recreational bicycling, gardening and vigorous housecleaning. Sign up for our email newsletter. Already a subscriber?
Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. Jeremy Barnes, an associate professor of health management at Southeast Missouri State University, explains. Get smart. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits.
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