The aging process can keep many people from breathing correctly. As you age, the rib cage and the surrounding muscles get stiffer, making it more difficult to take deep breaths. When you can't breathe deeply, you can't get the proper amount of oxygen into your system. You can improve breathing and oxygen intake with specific exercises.
Belly breath exercises
Lie down on the floor with your hands placed on your stomach directly below your rib cage. Place the tips of your middle fingers so they are touching on your stomach. Take a deep breath. If you are taking in enough air, your stomach should rise and your finger tips should separate slightly. If you are not moving your middle fingers away from each other, press down with your hands slightly. This will help you improve your lung capacity before you begin to take a deep breath again.
Humming exercise
Sit on a chair with your hands at your side. Take a deep breath and as you expel the air, start humming a single note. As you start to tire, pull your stomach muscles in as long as possible and keep humming as long as possible. This will help you get the most air in your lungs and oxygen in your bloodstream.
Abdominal assist breathing
Lie on the floor and put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Take a deep breath. This should allow the hand on your stomach to rise higher than the one on your chest. Exhale and then take deep breath in through your nose. Hold your breath for a count of 5 seconds. Start exhaling one second later. After all the breath is gone, contract your stomach muscles. Exhaling fully is what will give you the capacity to breathe in to full capacity.
