5 Best Breathing Exercises to Increase Lung Capacity
For athletes and sportsmen and women, it is important to increase lung capacity. A higher lung capacity can make it easier to last for a longer time on the track or field, and be able to focus better on an athletic activity and perform the best in it. Here are 10 best exercises that can be very useful for you in improving your lung capacity.
Warm Up
It is important to do a warm up prior to starting any workout session. When you warm up, it can raise your lung capacity. Start with tilting your head, right and left, in a single set comprising of 10 repetitions. Nod your head up and down in a set consisting of 10 repetitions. Try to stretch the neck, and perform a set each of arm circles, shoulder circles and waist circles, each having 10 reps. Breathe normally.
Next, bend yourself over to touch the toes. Do this for one set, comprising of 5 repetitions. Try Calf raise, 20 reps in one set. Interlock the fingers, stretch the heads to the front and pull back the shoulders. Try jogging slowly on the spot, performing a set consisting of 20 reps. And after this is done, you can begin the actual lung exercises.
Abdominal Breathing
This is a fantastic workout that can easily improve your lung capacity. This is a stepwise guide to help you out.
- Lie down on the back. Keep one hand over the chest and the other one on your abdomen.
- Put a pillow beneath the knees.
- Take in breath through your nose. Hold the breath and then breathe out through your mouth.
- Attempt to squeeze the abdominal muscles and expel of any remaining air from the lungs.
- Practice this for 10 times. Once this is over, enter a sitting posture.
- Relax the shoulders.
- Have the back kept straight.
- Now practice abdominal breathing.
You have to do this for minutes each day.
Rib Stretch
The workout involves breathing through your lungs, thus making your ribs contract and expand in sync with your inhalation and exhalation. It can also train your lungs for breathing in optimal amount of oxygen.
Here is a step by step guide on how you should stretch your ribs.
- Stand fully upright and keeping the back erect. Breathe all the oxygen out from the lungs.
- Breathe in gradually, and try to hold as much air as possible in your lungs.
- Hold the breath for a period of 10 – 15 seconds prior to breathing out gradually.
- Try this workout thrice every day to raise your lung capacity.
- Put your hands on the waist, and bend alternately on each side.
- Now get the hands overhead. Take your left hand back to the left waist. Bend to the left and experience the stretch on the right side of your body.
- Try the same steps on your other side. Repeat the process for several times.
- Complete the exercise with some more rib stretch breaths.
This workout needs to be performed daily for 2 to 5 minutes.
Oriental Breath
This is one more breathing workout that can exercise the lungs optimally and efficiently. Other than boosting your lung capacity, it can be useful for you in weight loss. Here are the steps that you should follow to perform the Oriental breath exercise.
- Stand erect, keeping the right leg before the left one.
- Squeeze the glute muscles. Lean back a little, and relax your shoulders.
- Breathe in for 3 seconds. Move the arms overhead from the side while inhaling.
- Pause a little and then breathe out forcefully all of a sudden. Move the hands to the sides from the overhead position as you inhale.
- Now repeat the process for 3-5 times.
Try to perform this breathing exercise daily for a span of 2 minutes.
Anulom-vilom (Lung Strengthening Pranayama)
This is a specific breathing exercise to boost your lung capacity. When you do it in a proper way, it can be tough in the initial days. However, as you practice more and more, you can perfect it. These are the steps to follow:
- Sit in Padmasana or the Lotus Posture. Engage the core muscles and keep the back straight.
- Use your left hand’s ring finger to close the left nostril.
- Breathe in slowly and deeply through the right nostril.
- Use the thumb to close the right nostril. Move away the ring finger, and open the left nostril at the same time.
- Breathe out gradually through the left nostril.
- Breathe slowly and deeply from the left nostril.
- Use the ring finger to shut the left nostril now, and move away the thumb to open your right nostril at the same time. Breathe out slowly.
- Perform the exercise for 10 times.
You have to do this every day for 5 to 7 minutes.
