The Power of Breathing
Breathing or lung problems may seem like something that can hold you back from achieving everyday things, especially physical workouts. Physically working out and exercising helps sustain a healthy long life, but how might one achieve that when being held back by things such as COPD, asthma, or recovering from covid? Our lungs are exceptionally important in working out, which is why if we may struggle from certain lung problems, we exercise them to make them as productive as possible.
How to exercise them:
Yoga! Through breathing exercises such as tai chi or overall yoga they are able to improve lung health and capacity. Additionally by participating in these practices they are able to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression which can at times be linked to certain lung diseases and overall make everyday life more enjoyable. So, while improving your lungs and breathing you as well can help your mental health and wellbeing.
Meditation
Meditation or tai chi is calming breathing exercises with slow movements and poses that help focus on your breathing, while still being in motion. So many low-intensity exercises in yoga are able to help grow and open the lungs such as wheel pose. Whether you are an experienced yogi or brand new there are abundances of poses and accommodations that can help your breathing. Yoga opens many doors for all, it helps stay active, help the body, and as well grow the mind. If struggling with breathing problems yoga is the best step to help it, with the many options and low intensity poses yoga is an option for all.
Publications: American Lung Association and News 18
Title date and website: “Try These 5 Yoga Aasanas for a Healthy Pair of Lungs” November 16th, 2020
“Yoga, Tai Chi and your Lungs: The Benefits of Breathing through Exercise” September 27, 2017
