If there’s one thing we all need to remember as we get older, it’s ensuring that we can keep those essential components of our body functioning as they should. Whether you are getting ready for retirement or need to make some changes, maintaining your optimal lung health is crucial for your overall well-being. Here’s some strategies that all play a pivotal role in ensuring your lungs function at their best.
Cleaning Your Home Regularly
Let’s get the basics out of the way; you need to ensure you have a clean living environment by regularly dusting and vacuuming your home. If you haven’t cleaned out your AC unit in a while, there are air conditioner cleaning services that can ensure dust mites, airborne particles and other irritants are out of the way.
A Balanced Diet
Something that we don’t necessarily equate with lung health, but we have to remember that any inflammation in the lungs can cause constriction in our breathing. Ensuring that we consume foods rich in antioxidants will combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation in the lungs. This is why a lot of people don’t get on very well with milk because of the amount of mucus it produces in the lungs.
Proper Hydration
This is vital because you can then maintain the mucus lining in your respiratory tract. If the lining dries out, it will cause a less smooth passage of air through the system. A very simple thing, but absolutely pivotal.
Regular Exercise
We have to remember that to increase lung capacity efficiently, we need to incorporate cardiovascular exercises. It’s not about doing a lot all at once, but about building up your strength gradually. When incorporating cardiovascular fitness, whether it’s swimming or running, make sure you have a 1:1 ratio. For example, if you can run for 10 minutes before getting out of breath, you then rest for 10 minutes and repeat. The other ratio is 1:3, so with this example, you would be resting for 30 minutes before running for 10 minutes.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing can improve your lung function. Because so many of us only breathe through our chests, we’re not getting the full capacity of our lung function. Deep breathing exercises are also invaluable to ensure that you are relaxing. When incorporating deep breathing exercises, you need to remember to keep it low, slow, and deep. This will have a profound impact on your autonomic nervous system and promote that rest and digest function.
Avoiding Major Irritants
There is, of course, second-hand smoke that can be a major irritant, but even something like alcohol can irritate our chest. Avoiding the major irritants that cause issues for you is critical.
Regular Checkups
It’s important for us to monitor our lung health, and regular checkups can ensure better management of a respiratory condition like asthma or will guarantee that you know how to function far better. Regularly checking your VO2 max is another way to ensure that you can breathe better.
Looking after lung health is essential, and if you can integrate these practices into your lifestyle, you can contribute to the overall well-being of your lungs. It’s not about addressing problems when they arise; a proactive and preventative approach will always win.
