You use your lungs every second of every day. Sometimes, they work only minimally, such as when you are sleeping or reading; at other times, they must work very hard to help you climb stairs and play sports. Maybe you've experienced feelings of not being able to catch your breath during the latter. Or, if you have a condition such as asthma, you may struggle to breathe freely on a regular basis, whether or not you are physically exerting yourself. Regardless, you can strengthen your lungs, just as you can strengthen your muscles, enabling you to be more active and breathe more freely.
Step 1
Engage in regular cardiovascular exercise at increasing intensities. Walk, run, swim, bike or jog for 30 minutes at least three times a week. To expand your lung capacity, continue to increase the intensity of your exercise by increasing the time, frequency or difficulty level of your workout. This will strengthen your lungs by causing them to adapt to increased workload and the need to use oxygen more efficiently.
Step 2
Practice diaphragmatic breathing for five minutes each day. The diaphragm is one of the major muscles involved in breathing, and it is what helps the lungs expand and contract. Practicing this on a daily basis involves taking a deep inhale through your nose, drawing the air deep into your lungs so that your belly expands. Completely expand your belly before you begin to fill your chest with air, and then exhale. Doing this exercise each day will help strengthen the lungs and make your breathing more efficient.
Step 3
Avoid toxic household cleaners, pollution and smoke. Breathing in chemical fumes and smoke can damage your lungs and leave them weaker. In fact, if you live in a city or spend time around smokers, your lungs are probably not functioning at their best capacity. To strengthen your lungs, switch out your toxic household cleaners for natural products, avoid places where people are smoking and very polluted areas, and wear a mask when avoidance isn't possible.
Step 4
Eat foods that are high in antioxidants like squash, bell peppers, cherries and blueberries. Antioxidants fight free radicals that can build up in the body and cause decreased lung function and even cancer. Adding two to four servings per day of antioxidant-rich foods to your diet can strengthen your lungs and reverse some of the damage done by pollution and smoking.
