By expanding your rib cage, you are able to breathe in more air, making your respiratory system more efficient and better able to carry more oxygen to your muscles. Some exercises will help give you the ability to expand your rib cage in order to provide for a larger chest as well as the ability to carry more oxygen. Check with your doctor to ensure the exercises are right for you.
Deep Breathing Exercise
Deep breathing exercises help train the muscles that support your ribs to lengthen further, allowing your rib cage to widen in order to allow your lungs to accept more oxygen. Lie down in a comfortable position with your head and upper torso supported on pillows, your knees bent and a pillow placed under your knees. Put one hand on your upper stomach just below your rib cage and the other hand on your upper chest. Inhale through your nose; notice your upper stomach is rising slowly. Purse your lips together and blow out the air in your lungs using a hard breath as if you were trying to blow out a match. Perform this exercise for five minutes, three times daily.
Lying Shoulder Dumbbell Pullover
The dumbbell pullover is designed to help expand your chest by stretching the intercostals muscles that hold your rib cage together. Begin by lying down on a bench with a dumbbell in both hands. Make sure both feet are on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Lift your arms until the dumbbell is being held directly over your upper chest. Use the muscles in your chest to slowly lower the dumbbell backward over your head. Continue lowering the dumbbell until you feel a stretch in your chest. Return to the starting position by pulling the dumbbell upward until it is once again over your upper chest. Repeat as many times as you like.
Breathing Squats
This exercise combines breathing exercises with a squat thrust. Take a deep breath and exhale completely. Perform a squat thrust by standing with a barbell supported on the back of your shoulders. Bend both knees until your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground. Return to the starting position by pushing with your knees until you are once again in a standing position. Take two deep breaths using deep breathing techniques by breathing in deeply and exhaling forcefully. Perform another squat thrust and then take three more deep breaths. Continue with this pattern until you've performed 10 squats. In order to see rib box expansion, you should do these exercises three times daily.
Breathing Pullover
The breathing pullover exercise combines the lying shoulder dumbbell pullover with deep breathing exercises. Perform a regular dumbbell pullover as listed above, but begin by performing one deep breathing exercise without using your hands. After this repetition, take two deep breaths and perform repetition number two. Continue increasing the number of breaths between repetitions until you have performed 10 pullovers.
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