Smoking cigarettes is a tough habit to kick, but just because you have not been able to quit just yet does not mean you can’t start take steps towards improving your health. Smoking cigarettes has been known to increase your chances of developing heart disease and cancer, among other health complications. There is good news, though. According to a study referenced by the Washing Post, smokers can lessen their chance of getting heart disease or cancer by practicing lung exercises on a regular basis.
Cardiovascular Exercise
According to the Washington Post, cardiovascular exercise, such as aerobic activities, has been shown to increase a person’s lung capacity, cleanse their body of harmful toxins, and reduce their risk of cancer by as much as 25 percent. Forms of cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise include: jogging, running, swimming, bicycling and dancing.
Supine Breathing Exercise
Lie down flat on your back. If you like, you can elevate your legs to a 90-degree angle. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Keeping your abs tight, take a slow, deep breath and then exhale. You know you’re doing it correctly if each time you breath, the hand on your stomach rises. You should do this exercise daily for 15 to 20 minutes.
Pursed Lip Breathing Exercise
Pursed lip breathing is easy and you can do it anywhere. Sitting upright in a chair, simply press your lips together leaving just a little space and then slowly inhale through your nostrils and exhale through your lips. You’re not supposed to take deep breaths while doing this; just slow breaths. Keep that in mind.
Coordinated Breathing Exercise
Coordinated breath is a little trickier – as you may have guess from the name – but it’s not that different from pursed lip breathing. Once you’re practiced pursed lip breathing a little bit and have become familiar with it, try doing it while doing another exercise. That is coordinated breathing. For example, while doing a push-up, you inhale through your nostrils as you go down and exhale through your lips as you push up.
These are just some of the exercises you can do to start improving your lung functioning and cardiovascular health, today. Remember, these exercises will not fully reverse the effects of smoking; they will only work to improve your current level of health and reduce the risk of you developing serious health complications. Be sure to consult your physician before you begin a new exercise plan.
Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/02/AR2006010201507.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aerobic-exercise/EP00002
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/
http://www.kevinneeld.com/2010/developing-proper-breathing-patterns