Exercise is the closest you can come to a magic pill that improves the quality of day-to-day living and boosts your chances for a long and healthy life. From reducing your risk of serious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, to helping you sleep better, improving the appearance of your skin, helping manage your weight and helping you to breathe better, exercise is critically important.
Exercise and Your Lungs
When you exercise, your muscles need more oxygen because they are working so hard. Your diaphragm muscles and the muscles in your rib cage shorten and relax, causing you to take more breaths. The more your exercise, the more efficient your heart and lungs become in accomplishing their work. Just as your legs or arm muscles can lift more weight for longer periods of time, so too can your heart and lung muscles get stronger and do their jobs with less effort.
Breathing at Night
Studies by John Hopkins University published in the February 2009 issue of the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" documented the link between obesity and sleep apnea, or difficulty breathing at night. The researchers found that lack of exercise can lead to sleep apnea in two ways: it can lead to obesity by allowing those extra calories to add up, and it can cause fluid to accumulate in the legs and shift to the neck at night, interfering with normal breathing mechanisms.
Lung Disorders and Exercise
Though it seems counter-intuitive, even people with lung disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis improve their breathing once they begin an exercise program. While cautioning that patients should check with their doctors first before beginning an exercise program, the American Lung Association advises patients with respiratory diseases to learn from athletes and strengthen their diaphragm muscles in order to breathe more deeply. Exercises to improve breathing can also be as simple as doing arm or leg lifts while sitting, walking around the block, or doing breathing exercises to strengthen the muscles around the lower rib cage.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Doctors and physiologists include all kinds of exercise in closely-monitored comprehension pulmonary rehabilitation programs to help people with lung conditions improve their breathing. Participants engage in cardio exercise, strength training and flexibility exercises in addition to breathing exercises. The programs also include education on medications, oxygen therapy and energy conservation.
