5 New Year’s Resolutions for Better Breathing

When it comes to high glamor New Year’s resolutions, breathing probably isn’t in the top 20. Yet, if you’re committing to healthier living, efficient breathing can make a big difference, particularly if you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

At Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC in Monroe, New Jersey, we specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of lung disorders. While you may take breathing for granted, you can breathe better through regular care. 

Consider these five lung boosters for your resolution list, whether you suffer from breathing impairments or wish to avoid problems down the road. You can make a difference with awareness and simple exercises. Here’s what you need to know. 

How breathing exercises work

With healthy lungs, you probably don’t think about breathing very often, since it’s mostly an autonomic function that your brain cycles through, day in and day out, around the clock. You generally only think about breathing during times of congestion or exertion. 

Typically, your lungs operate at about 50% capacity. That’s not to say it’s a problem. The unused 50% comes in handy when you are working hard or participating in a sport. 

The secret to better breathing is to keep this extra breathing capacity available for when you need it. Just like other systems that rely on muscle development, the lungs and their support tissues do too. 

Five New Year’s resolutions for better breathing

Consider these five better breathing tips and adopt the ones that best suit your life and lifestyle. 

1. Belly breathing

A simple way to boost lung capacity, belly breathing is a focused exercise where you slowly fill your lungs through the nose from the bottom up, the belly, and then exhale from the upper chest down. 

Expanding your belly as you breathe in lowers the diaphragm, increasing lung capacity. Exhaling from the top down, you finish your breath by pulling your belly in, bringing the diaphragm back up. 

2. Diaphragmatic breathing

The first part of belly breathing, lowering the diaphragm and expanding the stomach, can also be completed. It’s a common exercise used by singers to increase lung capacity and manage long sections in performance. 

Both belly breathing and diaphragmatic breathing are beneficial for patients with reduced lung capacity due to asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis. 

3. Pursed-lip breathing

Both a relaxation tool and a breathing exercise, pursed-lip breathing conserves energy through breath. It slows the pace of breathing and is often effective for relieving the shortness of breath. 

Perform pursed-lip breathing by inhaling a diaphragmatic belly breath through the nose for a count of two, followed by an exhale through the mouth, through pursed lips, for a count of four or longer. Don’t force the air out, and don’t hold your breath through the breathing cycle. 

4. Posture resets

Simply sitting or standing in a balanced, neutral posture with your arms raised over your head expands the space within your body, allowing your lungs to fill up with air. Lungs work something like sponges, holding more air when they’re allowed to expand. 

5. Laugh

If there’s a glamorous exercise for breathing, it’s going to a comedy club as a therapeutic resolution. While you might find it hard to breathe when doubled over with belly laughs, you’re actually giving your abdomen and lungs a great workout. Anyone who knows the feeling of a sore diaphragm the day after a hilarious show can attest to this. 

Breathing is crucial to living. Contact Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC whenever your breathing isn’t what it should be. Call or click to book your appointment with Dr. Andrew Freedman and his team today.