0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In This Article

Morning exercises to improve lung health
316

Morning exercises to improve lung health

Doing simple, easy-to-do cardio exercises in the morning can keep lung health at an optimum level
: Doing simple, easy-to-do cardio exercises in the morning can keep lung health at an optimum level
Photo by Anantha Subramanyam K

The increasing awareness on maintaining and optimising lung health has led people to adopt mindful diets and physical exercise while letting go of unhealthy lifestyle habits. Experts say that it is imperative to include morning exercise in your daily routine in order to get optimum benefits.

How does exercising improve lung health?

“Regular exercise leads to better oxygenation of muscles, which increases muscle function. This results in optimum lung health,” says Dr Manjunath P H, a pulmonologist from Narayana Health, Bengaluru.


READ MORE :

Indoor pollution: when the air inside your home turns toxic

Mouth breathing: second best is not good enough

The smokescreen effect of e-cigarettes


Why is it beneficial to exercise in the morning?

Uday Chandra Barman, a 66-year-old retired navy officer from Assam, has a fixed morning routine: cycling back and forth to the park that takes about 20 minutes, brisk walking for 20 minutes and stretching exercises. At home, he religiously performs five deep breathing exercises of Pranayama for around 40 minutes. He says that he meticulously follows the techniques of Pranayama such as Bhastrika (rapid inhalation and exhalation), Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril breathing), Bhramari (humming bee breathing) and Kapalabhati (skull shining breathing).

“After morning exercise, I feel refreshed for the day. I feel quite lethargic if I do not follow this routine,” says Barman.

Doing exercises in the morning is better than in the evening as the air quality is better, says Dr Manjunath. “Air pollution in cities occurs mostly because of vehicular movement which worsens as the day progresses,” he adds.

Experts also caution that exercising too close to bedtime can affect sleep.

Happiest Health gives you a list of simple, easy-to-do morning exercises:

Simple cardio exercises

Dr D S Sowjanya, a pulmonologist at Kamineni Hospitals, Hyderabad, recommends a healthy individual with optimal body mass index (BMI) to do half an hour of cardio exercises daily for at least five days a week. “However, people having high BMI levels need to do vigorous exercises,” she says. She lists out the following exercises:

  • Brisk walking
  • Jogging
  • Running
  • Cycling

She continues that these simple cardio exercises are sufficient for people who don’t find the time to perform vigorous exercises for maintaining lung health. 

Singing

There are certain vocal cord vibrations that humans use during singing only, says Dr Sowjanya, because of which, singing is a kind of deep breathing exercise. “Singing is a type of morning exercise which will increase lung capacity,” she adds.

Muscle building and strengthening exercises

Dr Manjunath says that muscle building and strengthening exercises (like weightlifting) improve the skeletal muscle health or muscle function which indirectly improves lung function.

Yoga

Uttarkashi-based yoga instructor, Bhavna Yadav, tells Happiest Health that yoga helps in using our lungs to their full capacity by taking deep conscious breaths which helps in optimising lung health.

Prolonged expiratory breathing in yoga cleanses the pollutants and allergens deposited in the lungs, according to Dr Sowjanya.

Yadav mentions the following asanas that focus on improving overall lung health:

  1. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
  2. Matsyasana (Fish pose)
  3. Surya Namaskara (Sun salutation)

A 30-minute yoga practice under the guidance of a teacher is enough to get started with,” advises Yadav. She adds that a combination of deep breathing exercises like Anuloma Viloma and Kapalabhati should be done in the morning.

What causes lung health to fail?

Dr Manjunath lists out the reasons why lung health deteriorates:

  • History of smoking.
  • Extreme exposure to pollutants– indoor and outdoor.
  • Outdoor air pollution including gaseous emissions from vehicles, industries, fire incidents, smoke, etc.
  • Indoor air pollution including burning of incense sticks, camphor, wood and smoke from chulhas (traditional earthen stove) in rural areas.
  • Repeated lung infections.
  • Stressful lifestyle.
  • People who are genetically predisposed to declining lung health.

Takeaways

  • Morning is the best time to exercise due to reduced pollution.
  • Doing simple, easy-to-do cardio exercises (like brisk walking, jogging, yoga and even singing) in the morning can keep lung health at an optimum level.

Share Your Experience/Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Summit Registration

NOTE: The summit will be held at NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bengaluru.

Wellness Registration Form

-
-
-
Total Amount INR 3000
Trending

Articles

Article
Some couples consciously decide not to have children despite familial and social expectations, wanting to make the best of their relationship. Children should be had for their own sake, says psychotherapist Tasneem Nakhoda
Article
Insufficient consumption of heart-healthy foods can affect cardiovascular health. Experts discuss beneficial dietary choices
Article
Cycling and walking are both great cardiovascular activities that aid weight loss and keep various health conditions away. Pick one that suits your fitness goals and physical condition, say experts
Article
The risk of heart attacks and strokes for middle-aged, overweight people with high blood pressure is 35 percent higher compared to those with a healthy body weight 
Article
Summer drinks, though hydrating, can have excess sugar. Nutritionists suggest a few alternatives to keep the body temperature and sugar levels down
Article
Packed with protein, this recipe will help in weight management by keeping you full for a long time
Trending

Articles

Article
Some couples consciously decide not to have children despite familial and social expectations, wanting to make the best of their relationship. Children should be had for their own sake, says psychotherapist Tasneem Nakhoda
Article
Insufficient consumption of heart-healthy foods can affect cardiovascular health. Experts discuss beneficial dietary choices
Article
Cycling and walking are both great cardiovascular activities that aid weight loss and keep various health conditions away. Pick one that suits your fitness goals and physical condition, say experts

0

0

0

Web Stories 

0

0

0

0

0

0

Opt-in To Our Daily Healthzine

A potion of health & wellness delivered daily to your inbox

Personal stories and insights from doctors, plus practical tips on improving your happiness quotient

Opt-in To Our Daily Healthzine

A potion of health & wellness delivered daily to your inbox

Personal stories and insights from doctors, plus practical tips on improving your happiness quotient
We use cookies to customize your user experience, view our policy here

Your feedback has been submitted successfully.

The Happiest Health team will reach out to you at the earliest