According to the American Lung Association, the different lobes of the lung and the membranes that surround each lobe could stretch to fill an area the size of a tennis court. When you jog or exercise vigorously in other ways, your breathing deepens and quickens and your heart beats faster as well. This extra stress on your lungs is a good thing for your lungs and for your overall health.
Decrease in Allergic Lung Inflammation
A 2007 research study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that both low level and moderate level aerobic exercise, such as jogging, reduced inflammation in lung tissue caused by asthma. The study was done on mice, but researchers note that the findings could provide strategies for patients with lung diseases that cause inflammation.
Less Strain on the Lungs
As an October, 2010 article in the "New York Times" points out, jogging itself will not strengthen your lungs. However, people with chronic lung problems will have less breathlessness when they exercise because jogging strengthens their leg muscles. With stronger muscles working effectively, the lungs require less effort and overall fatigue and breathlessness are reduced.
Aerobic Fitness
In general, aerobic fitness refers to your heart and lung's ability to carry red blood cells full of oxygen to your muscles. In more vigorous exercise, such as jogging, the lungs absorb more oxygen and release more carbon dioxide than it does when you are sedentary. According to "The Encyclopedia of Surgery", this is called the lung's vital capacity, or the rate and amount at which that gas exchange occurs.
What Happens in Your Lungs
The entire surface of the lung is put to use during exercise, according to Jack Wilmore, author of "Physiology of Sport and Exercise." Wilmore notes that when you are at rest, you use only the upper regions of your lungs. Additionally, the small air sacs in the lungs called, alveoli, where the actual gas exchange takes place work harder during exercise. The alveoli feel the increased pressure of blood flow caused by your heart increasing the volume of blood flow into the lungs, causing them to work more quickly.
Aerobic Fitness and Disease
Your aerobic fitness level has benefits beyond helping you during exercise itself. According to The President's Challenge Program, a healthy level of aerobic fitness gives you a reduced risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.
References
- American Lung Association: How Lungs Work
- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine: "Aerobic Exercise Decreases Chronic Allergic Lung Inflammation and Airway Remodeling in Mice"
- New York Times: Exercise's Effects on the Lungs
- Encyclopedia of Surgery: Spirometry Tests
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack Wilmore; 2008
- Presidents Challenge Program: What the Results Mean
