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Ways to Help Your Lungs

The lungs are critical organs in the human body. They work every second to keep you alive. The oxygen you need to survive enters your lungs when you inhale, while carbon dioxide waste leaves the body and enters the environment when you exhale. In addition, mucus in the lungs trap bacteria and other harmful materials that enter your body, according to the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). You can take several steps to help your lungs.

  1. Exercise

    • Performing exercises that cause your heart to beat faster and make you breathe more quickly is extremely helpful for the lungs. Walk rapidly, ride a bike or climb stairs to help improve your lungs' function. Health studies indicate that individuals who suffered from emphysema, or lung disease, improved their breathing simply by walking 45 minutes to an hour a day, according to Reader's Digest. You also can perform diaphragmatic breathing, which is breathing from your stomach by taking in a deep breath. This exercise makes your diaphragm--your main muscle of respiration--stronger. Try this daily for five or more minutes.

      Another exercise that can help your lungs involves lying on the floor with your feet flat on the floor, placing your hands behind your head and positioning your elbows so that they are close together. Then, when you breathe in, move your elbows apart until they are flat on the floor, and then move your elbows back toward each other when you breathe out. This procedure will help you increase the amount of oxygen you can take in by helping your chest to expand. Adding abdominal crunches will make your stomach muscle s-- which are important in helping you inhale -- much stronger. Exercise in general makes your lungs better at supplying oxygen to the body, according to KidsHealth.org.

    Avoid Dangerous Fumes

    • Avoiding cigarette and cigar smoking is one of the most important things you can do to help your lungs. Stay away from smoky eating establishments and bars, where secondhand smoke easily can harm your lungs. You also should avoid breathing in toxic detergents such as oven cleaners when working around the house. Always open windows and doors to allow fresh air in whenever you use toxic household detergents or perform projects such as painting.

    Watch Your Diet

    • Taking a fish-oil supplement daily actually can help reduce breathing problems such as asthma. This is because the main ingredients in these supplements --Omega-3 fatty acids --actually reduce inflammation, which often is related to breathing issues. Also, eat fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes daily, as they carry Vitamin C, beta-carotene and other antioxidants that improve lung function. In addition, brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once daily. This can help prevent periodontal disease -- disease of the gum and bone supporting the teeth -- which researchers link to poor lung function.

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