10 Lung Exercises

Deep breathing

You breathe in and out 12 to 15 times every minute while resting, so take advantage of these breaths by performing some deep breathing lung exercises throughout the day. Simply relax your face, inhale through your nose as deeply as you can, and exhale out through your mouth.

Empty your lungs

Emptying your lungs can ensure they fill fully back up. To do this, stand up straight with your knees loose; bend over at the waist, blowing out all the air from your lungs as you exhale during these lung exercises. Inhale as deeply as possible as you slowly return to an upright position (this fills your lungs to their max capacity). Hold that breath for 20 seconds and extend both arms above your head. Exhale and relax your arms, letting them drop back to your sides. Do this move four times.

Breathe from your belly

Lie on your back and extend your legs flat against the floor with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Inhale deeply, slowly pulling from your abdomen. You know you’re doing it right when the hand on your belly rises higher than the hand on your chest as you breathe. Exhale deeply through your mouth, and try holding your breath at the end for seven seconds.

Take a short walk when possible

A simple exercise that gets your heart pumping and builds up your leg muscles is walking. But doctors often suggest regular walks for patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation, which are programs for people who suffer from lung disease.

Pick up Pilates

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Make sure to keep your arms by your sides with the palms facing down. Slowly lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground while inhaling as deeply as possible. While you’re half sitting, lift your knees and extend your legs straight out until they reach a 45-degree angle to the floor. Begin pumping your arms up and down 10 times while you take 10 short breaths. Do 10 sets of these until you reach 100.

Do baby push-ups

Get in the push-up position with your body flat against the floor. Look down so your neck is aligned with your spine. Press your hands into the ground and take a deep breath in as you slowly lift your head, neck, and shoulders. Keep your arms slightly bent at the elbow as you lift yourself up about 60 degrees from the floor. Lower yourself back down again while slowly exhaling. Repeat this move for 10 reps.

Take a dip in the pool

A few strokes across the pool are perfect lung exercises; breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth helps your body properly dispose that carbon dioxide waste and avoid fatigue. Even better, it’ll aid your lungs and your heart.

Perfect your plank

Lie flat on the floor like you’re about to do a pushup. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and lift your core up so your trunk is horizontal and parallel to the floor. Rest your weight on your forearms, tighten your abs, make sure your back is flat (not arched or sunk in), and keep your head up; hold for 30 seconds. For the optimal position, your arms should be laying on the ground like a sphinx: palms down and arms perpendicular to each other.

Row an imaginary boat

All you need is a resistance band, which can be bought at most drugstores and sporting goods store. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, knees slightly bent. Loop the band around the bottoms of your feet and crisscross it in front of you, so it looks like an “X.” Hold the ends in each hand. Extend your arms out in front of you, then pull backwards until your hands meet your chest.

Good posture

Do a self-check at your work desk by doing these lung exercises: look straight ahead, keeping your shoulders back, placing your feet flat on the floor, and slightly extending your legs out from underneath your chair, so your knees are lower than your hips.