Are you suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? If yes, you must know that there is no cure for this disease and it worsens over time. However, with pulmonary rehabilitation and breathing techniques, you can reduce the effects of symptoms and improve overall lung functionality. This article teaches the 5 best exercises and breathing techniques for COPD patients. Contact the best pulmonologist in Brooklyn by visiting Doral Health and Wellness Pulmonary Center.

5 Exercises or breathing techniques for COPD patients

Here are some exercises or breathing techniques that can help you improve your symptoms and build lung capacity and muscle strength:

1. Diaphragmatic breathing:

Also, known as belly breathing, it is an exercise where your diaphragm engages during breathing. This technique is very helpful for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because it makes the diaphragm ineffective and reduces its strength. You can use this technique when you feel rested. If you have COPD, you can ask your doctor to teach you how to perform it well for the best results. Keep in mind that this exercise may take time to improve your symptoms and there’s no scientific evidence to reverse this condition.

According to the COPD foundation, these are the steps you should follow:

• Relax your shoulders and sit back or lie down.
• Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest.
• Now take a normal breath from your nose, inhale the air for 2 seconds, feel it as the air moves into your abdomen, and feel your stomach move out. You notice your stomach move more out than your chest does.
• Breathe out for 2 seconds through pursed lips while pressing on your abdomen and repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times a day.

2. Pursed-lips breathing:

Pursed-lips breathing helps to slow your breathing and reduce the work needed by keeping your airways open longer. This makes it easier for the lungs to function and improves oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. This breathing exercise is easier for beginners than diaphragmatic breathing, and you can do it at home even when no one shows you how to do it.

Here are the steps you can follow to practice this exercise:

• Sit comfortably and inhale slowly through your nostrils. Keep your neck and shoulders relaxed all the time.
• Purse your lips like you make a pout or are about to blow on something.
• Breathe out all the air in the lungs, as slowly as possible through pursed lips. It should take at least twice as long as it did when you breathe in.

It may take practice and concentration to master this breathing exercise and practicing for 5 to 10 minutes daily helps you master it. As you begin, try to take a breath normally.

This exercise helps you to prevent rapid breathing, reduce anxiety when breathing is difficult, ease the process of the lungs taking in oxygen and removing carbon dioxide, and slow down breathing so more air can enter and leave the lungs. A 2014 study found that people with COPD become more active over time practicing pursed-lip breathing.

3. Alternate nostril breathing:

This exercise comes in practice from yoga, where you inhale through one nostril while closing the other, then switch and repeat. Try to perform this slowly and smoothly while staying aware of your breath.

To perform this exercise, follow these steps:

• Sit comfortably and place your left hand on your knee.
• Lift your right hand and place your thumb on your nose, exhale, and close your right nostril with your thumb.
• Inhale through your left nostril and close it with your fingers.
• Release the right nostril and exhale, then inhale through the right nostril and close it.
• Exhale through the left nostril and repeat this exercise for 5 minutes and end with exhaling through the left nostril.

4. Yoga:

Deep breathing or yoga both prompt relaxation, and flexibility, and create mind-body wellness. A 2014 research suggests that yoga training for 3 to 9 months may help COPD patients by improving their lung function and ability to exercise.

A 2019 review supports these findings and suggests more research is needed into the safety, long-term effects, and effects on life quality. Consult with your doctor about the safety and suitability of yoga before signing up for a class.

5. Tai chi:

This is an ancient Chinese form of martial art that focuses on gentle exercise, stretching, meditation, and mindfulness. A 2016 review shows that tai chi may improve a person’s breathing and ability to function overall, which makes it a safe choice for COPD people. However, further studies into the different types of tai chi are needed.

In 2018, researchers had 60 people with COPD learn a modified version of 24 forms of tai chi, which is very popular among older people in China. This helps to improve their lung function, reduce breathlessness, and increase exercise capacity.

COPD is a life-threatening lung condition that has no cure and makes it difficult to breathe. However, the above-mentioned exercise programs and breathing techniques help COPD patients breathe more easily, improve lung function, and boost their life quality.

For proper guidance, you should consult with a doctor or visit our pulmonologists in Brooklyn to get proper medical help. At Doral Health and Wellness Pulmonary Center, we offer the best possible expertise and care in all aspects of pulmonology. Visit our pulmonologists to have your signs and symptoms checked. To schedule an appointment, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212, or call us at 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://pulmonologistbrooklyn.com.