The Effect Of Yoga & Breathing Exercises On Asthma

Asthma can be a scary condition but it can be managed. Learning how to breathe can not only help with your everyday symptoms but also during asthma attacks. A large part of yoga is learning to control your breathing which is important in controlling asthma. Asthma is a serious condition, consult your doctor for treatment.

Asthma

Asthma makes breathing difficult by causing airways to swell and narrow, creating extra mucus. It can be mild to severe and includes symptoms of coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. There is no cure for asthma and symptoms can vary from person to person. There are ways to control symptoms, whether asthma is triggered at night, during exercise or from exposure to certain environmental factors.

Yoga

Yoga breathing is effective for those suffering from asthma. The type of breathing is called pranayama and it helps to increase the lung's airflow, air capacity, stamina and efficiency, according to the Your Asthma Treatment website. Pranayama breathing in yoga concentrates on inhaling the lungs with fresh air to stimulate the respiratory system. Holding your breath increases the absorption of oxygen and exhaling gets rid of the toxins and impurities. Yoga breathing teaches asthmatics to breathe slowly and steadily while relaxed.

Breathing Exercises

Another breathing technique effective for asthmatics is the Papworth method. The main idea is based on diaphragmatic breathing meant to stop the rapid, shallow breaths from the chest. The Papworth method emphasizes nose breathing and encourages deep, gentle breaths. The Buteyko method was designed to help individuals recover from over breathing, which is defined as breathing too much and thought to be negative for the body, according to the Buteyko Clinic website. This method focuses on the measure of the breath hold which helps asthmatics control their breathing.

Expert Insight

Researchers at the University College London followed 85 men and women with mild asthma for one year. During this study, half of the participants took traditional medicine while the other half took traditional medicine and participated in the Papworth method. The results published in the British Medical Journal Thorax found that breathlessness was cut by one third in the group that practiced the Papworth method.

Considerations

Hypnosis and meditation can also help asthmatics control their breathing. Meditating helps to relieve stress and anxiety that may trigger asthma attacks. The heart of meditation is controlled breathing which can help strengthen the lungs and airways. A 1968 study published in the British Medical Journal found that hypnosis can have a positive effect on asthma with results showing a 59 percent improvement with asthma in those who were hypnotized.