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Breathing Exercises for Quadriplegics

Although they cannot exercise and train using traditional methods, quadriplegics can still improve their cardiovascular health by using regimented breathing exercises. The exercises are simple to perform and effective at strengthening muscles used in breathing, making them a necessary part of any quadriplegic's therapy.

  1. Basic Deep Breathing

    • Perform a basic breathing exercise by consciously regulating your breathing once per hour, taking 30 slow, deep, measured breaths. Focus more on exhalations than inhalations, taking slightly longer to exhale. This simple form of deep breathing can improve pulmonary function and help quadriplegics reduce their risk of developing chronic respiratory problems, according to a study led by registered physical therapist Elisabeth Westerdahl and published in the November 2005 issue of the medical journal Chest.

    Weighted Abdominal Breathing

    • Perform weighted abdominal breathing to further strengthen your lung capacity. Lie on your back and have someone place progressively heavier weights (either dumbbells, weight plates or any other type of weighted resistance) on your upper abdomen. Relax and focus on breathing as deeply and smoothly as possible. Start with five minutes of continued breathing and work your way up to 10 or 15, performing the exercise at least once a day. The exercise can strengthen breathing capacity more than deep breathing alone, according to a study led by R. Suresh and published in the April 2004 issue of the Indian Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

    Inspiratory Resistance

    • Inspiratory resistance refers to breathing exercises performed with a specialized device that resists the patient's breathing effort, making the respiratory process more challenging. Inspiratory resistance machines provide a progressive level of difficulty that can work equally as well as weighted abdominal breathing techniques, according to a study performed by P. Cristina Imle and published in the November 1992 issue of Physical Therapy. As you likely will not have such a machine at your immediate disposal, consult with your doctor or physical therapist regarding the possibility of incorporating inspiratory resistance into your training regimen.

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