Deep breathing and controlled coughing techniques are used to help clear the lungs, especially after surgery or if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. According to Yogawiz.com, these exercises help strengthen the heart and lungs and deliver more oxygen to the body. If you have an existing health condition, however, you should always seek medical advice before using these techniques.
About the Coughing Technique
A natural cough or breath will expel foreign bodies and excess mucus from the lungs of a healthy person. However, a person with COPD usually has weak chest muscles and lungs so their cough is likely to be too weak to be effective for precision breathing control, notes the Sierra Biotechnology Co. website . Likewise, a person who is recovering from surgery may be too weak to cough. According to Yogawiz.com, the Huff Cough technique was developed to ensure these people can adequately remove excess fluid from their lungs and strengthen their pulmonary function.
Preparing for the Huff Cough
To perform the Huff Cough correctly, you need to be relaxed, so Yogawiz.com suggests doing some deep breathing before you begin. Sit in a comfortable chair and breathe in slowly and deeply through your mouth, hold for five seconds then exhale through your nose. Repeat at least five times.
Deflate Your Lungs
According to Sierra Biotechnology, the first step in the Huff Cough technique is to deflate your lungs of air. To do this, the Everyday Health website suggests sitting in a chair with your arms crossed over your stomach. Breathe in and, as you exhale, lean forward and apply gentle pressure with your arms as you expel the air from your lungs. Do three small coughs with your mouth slightly open. Repeat this exercise as many times as you need to, but Sierra Biotechnology suggests to only take small breaths to avoid re-inflating your lungs.
Performing the Huff Cough
Once you have practiced deflating your lungs as described above, Everyday Health says to place your hand over your stomach and take one deep breath in. Keep your mouth open and contract your stomach muscles as quickly as you can to expel the air from your lungs in one, sharp exhalation. If done correctly, you should make a noise that sounds like a mini-cough or "huff." Breathe in about half as much as you did to start the exercise, then quickly force the air out, repeating the "huff" sound. Take in a third and final breath, which should be even smaller than the second inhalation, and "huff" as you breathe out. Due to less air in the lungs, the third "huff" may be difficult for some people, and Sierra Biotechnology recommends stopping at the second stage if you feel any discomfort.
Tips for Optimum Results
The Huff Cough is a gentle, not a loud bark. To ensure you perform the mini-cough correctly, Sierra Biotechnology says to keep your mouth open and in a loose O-shape throughout the exercise. Don't try to actually say the word "huff"; the mini-cough you perform as you exhale should simply sound like it.
