Boost your breathing: How exercise strengthens your lung health

You’ve probably heard about the many ways exercise can strengthen your muscles, bones and even your heart. But did you know your lungs can benefit from a workout, too?

Your lungs are a vital organ in your body, working to oxygenate the blood, remove carbon dioxide, regulate the acid-base balance of the body and filter out particles from the environment.

When you keep them strong and healthy through exercise and other preventive measures, they’re better able to keep doing these important jobs.

Exercises that boost your lung health

Strengthening your lungs starts with strengthening your overall body. Focus on both aerobic exercises and breathing exercises to give your lungs the workout they need.

Aerobic exercises increase your heart rate and oxygen consumption. Good options include:

• Jogging
• Cycling
• Jumping rope
• Hiking
• Circuit training

Yoga and breathing exercises, such as pranayama, have been shown to help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tai chi is another exercise that can benefit lung health because of its focus on breathing. There’s also data that shows that the breathing patterns used in swimming can benefit people living with asthma.

4 ways that exercise strengthens your lungs

With routine aerobic and breathing exercises, it’s possible to improve your lung health in many ways. Some examples include:

1. Improved lung capacity: Exercise helps with the ability to have controlled breathing. In simple terms, people with a healthy lung capacity smell the roses (breathe in with your nose) and blow the candles (exhale through your mouth). Over time, a lack of lung capacity and breathing through your mouth can lead to symptoms like breathlessness.
2. Enhanced oxygen efficiency: With exercise, you are gradually ensuring that you are able to open up and engage the lungs as a whole. This increases the use of your lungs, and that helps with oxygen efficiency.
3. Strengthened respiratory muscles: General strengthening exercises and lightweight training can help get muscles around your rib cage moving. Exercises that include deep breathing help trigger the diaphragm, allowing this muscle to get stronger, which supports better lung health.
4. Reduced risk of respiratory infections: Exercise makes you stronger. When you’re strong and have a good immune system, it will help you reduce the risk of respiratory infections.

It’s not just exercise: 5 more ways to improve your lung health

Exercise is just one factor that you can control when it comes to caring for your lungs. Along with lung-boosting exercises, consider these healthy steps as well:

1. Quit smoking, vaping and tobacco: Smoking is one of the leading causes of lung disease and can severely damage lung tissue. And today, the lung injury associated with vaping has become a serious issue, too.
2. Maintain a healthy diet: If you’re healthy, then you’re breathing better. Eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated are great ways to care for your overall health. If you’re an athlete or runner, a focus on a healthy diet with antioxidants also helps you get that second wind.
3. Limit pollutant exposure: Dust in your home and pollutants outside can trigger lung conditions like bronchospasm—a tightening of the muscles in your airways—and put you at a higher risk for lung issues. Some people find it helpful to use a home air purifier to reduce pollutants.
4. Stay on top of vaccinations: Talk to your primary care physician about age-appropriate vaccines. With vaccines for pneumonia, flu and RSV, you have options to protect yourself against common respiratory infections that could affect your lungs.
5. Pay attention to the weather: Your lungs are like balloons. They tend to adjust the pressure inside them based on the barometric pressure and humidity outside. Paying attention to the environment around you and how you feel can help you notice signs of a potential underlying lung condition.

Stay in tune with your lungs

If you’re consistently following your exercise regimen and you don’t have any lung symptoms, that’s a good sign that things are going well with your lung health. But it’s important to know the signs that your lungs need some attention.

A persistent cough is a common symptom of a lung condition, as well as chest pain from your airways constricting. You may also experience fatigue, excessive mucus production, shortness of breath or wheezing. These symptoms may be caused by a simple viral infection, but you should go see a doctor if they are not resolving within a few days.

If you have a family history of lung disease or other risk factors, you should bring it to the attention of your primary care doctor as well. They can work with you to assess your need for regular checkups of your lungs to catch lung disease early.

With preventive steps like exercise and the guidance of a trusted provider, you’ll be on your way to stronger lungs that support your overall well-being. If you have symptoms of a lung condition or risk factors, take your first step by finding pulmonology care near you.