Lung Health Exercise

Covid is a respiratory disease that affects the lungs. Since it affects the respiratory tract, we should take efforts to increase the lung capacity. Lung health is essential to fight coronavirus. If the lungs cannot expand fully, it leads to shallow breathing and decreased lung capacity. Therefore, it is important to keep the lungs healthy with proper breathing exercises.

Pranayama is an effective method to increase lung capacity. It is simple to do and works wonders. There are many benefits of practicing Pranayama regularly.

• It boosts the immune system and helps in clearing the nasal passages.

• It is also helpful in relieving stress and calming the mind.

• In addition to maintaining hygiene, practicing social distancing, washing hands, and wearing masks, having healthy lungs helps us survive the pandemic better.

Tips for Getting Started:

Breathing exercises should be performed in a clean and hygienic environment.

Early morning is the ideal time to perform breathing exercises.

Pranayama should be done with great care and awareness.

We should try to stay focused on the journey, not on the destination.

Pranayama should not be practiced when the lungs are congested. The breath should be kept rhythmic and steady, and eyes should remain closed throughout, as we continue taking deep, smooth breaths without any force.

If we experience any discomfort, we should stop the breathing exercise immediately, and we have to return to normal breathing.

Those with chronic medical conditions should consult their physician before starting Pranayama.

Here’s a simple Pranayama for you to begin with:

 

1. Breathing Practice

 a.  Abdominal Breathing (for lower lungs) 

• Sit in any comfortable position. Prefer sitting in any meditative poses
• Keep your spine erect.
• Close your eyes so that you can focus on breathing.
• Place the hands resting on the thighs in Adi Mudra (Press your thumb on the inside of the palm. The fingers are closed around the thumb. Do it in both the hand).
• Inhale deeply, slowly, and continuously through both the nostrils, the abdomen bulges out.
• Exhale through both the nostrils, draw the abdomen inwards slowly.
• Repeat this breathing cycle five times.

b. Thoracic  breathing (for Middle lungs) 

• Sit in any comfortable position. Prefer sitting in any meditative poses
• Keep your spine erect.
• Close your eyes so that you can focus on the breathing
• Place the hands resting on the thighs in Chinmaya Mudra (join the tip of your thumb with the tip of your index finger, curl the rest three fingers to the palm).
• Inhale deeply through both the nostrils, expand the chest forward.
• Exhale through both the nostrils, relax the chest.
• Repeat this breathing cycle five times.

 c.    Upper Lobar breathing (for Upper lungs) 

• Sit in any comfortable position. Prefer sitting in any meditative poses
• Keep your spine erect.
• Close your eyes so that you can focus on the breathing
• Place the hands resting on the thighs in Chin Mudra (touching your index fingertip to the tip of your thumb, while holding your other three fingers straight.)
• Inhale deeply through both the nostrils, raise the shoulder upwards.
• Exhale through both the nostrils, drop down the shoulder to the resting position.
• Repeat this breathing cycle five times. 

 

2. Nadi Suddhi Pranayama 

• Sit in any comfortable position. Prefer sitting in any meditative poses
• Keep your spine erect.
• Close your eyes so that you can focus on the breathing
• Place the left hand resting on the thighs in Chin Mudra and the right hand in Nasika Mudra (fold index and middle fingers and keep the ring and little fingers straight along with the thumb).
• Place the ring and small fingers on the left nostril and place the right thumb on the right nostril.
• Open the left nostril, breathe in from the left nostril, close the left nostril with the small and ring fingers and release the thumb from the right nostril; exhale through the right nostril.
• Next, inhale through the right nostril. At the end of inhalation, close the right nostril, open the left nostril and exhale through it. 

·         This completes one round of the Nadi Suddhi Pranayama.

·         Repeat this breathing cycle five times.

 

 Let us stay safe and remain healthy during such difficult times!

Source: VIT, Vellore