You are not alone, many people diagnosed with COPD withdraw both mentally and physically. One of the reasons why you may be afraid to be active is the shortness of breath that occurs during activity. The more physically inactive you are, the greater the risk of deterioration in your COPD. So, how should you do it?
Many people with COPD find it difficult to take deeper breaths, which leads to you breathing faster during activity. However, rapid breathing often leads to the body having difficulty absorbing the oxygen and therefore you may experience shortness of breath. And activity leads to you breathing faster and having difficulty absorbing oxygen. You can influence your breathing yourself and the best part is that the effects usually come quickly because your breathing affects so much in the body such as blood pressure, immune system, digestion and mental health are just a few examples.
Below are tips on exercises for better breathing:
Breathe with your nose
Fills the lungs better than when breathing by mouth and stimulates good circulation in the lung tissue.
Train the chest
To breathe deeper, you can soften your chest by making slow swimming movements with your arms while sitting.
Relaxed posture
Sit on your entire buttocks and hamstrings and lean back with support, or forward and support yourself on your elbows. These postures relax the trunk muscles, making it easier to fill the lungs.
Empty your lungs of air
Shape your lips as if you are going to blow out a small candle. This increases the expiratory pressure, which makes it easier to empty the lungs.
Read also the article: COPD - a treatable disease
