Aerobic exercise decreases your risk of disease and increases your quality of life, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Regular sessions can also improve the efficiency of your lungs and entire respiratory system.
The Respiratory System
Your lungs are part of your respiratory system. The primary function of this system is the basic exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. To bring necessary oxygen to your working muscles during exercise your cardiovascular and respiratory systems work together. Your heart rate increases in order to bring oxygenated blood to the muscles and deoxygenated blood to your lungs. The lungs move more rapidly to exchange the gases.
Exercise-Induced Changes
Ventilation changes appear to be specific to the activity you are performing. For example, if you are runner and you start swimming, swimming may be very challenging for you, compared with running. During maximal, or very hard, exercise the volume of air you breathe in and out as well as breathing frequency increase. Over time, during submaximal, or moderate to hard exercise, you will notice that your breathing frequency decreases but your volume of air increases because the exchange of gases is more efficient than it used to be due to regular exercise sessions.
Aerobic Exercise Recommendations
Aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise will encompass the largest portion of an exercise program for most people. For health, perform cardiovascular exercise three to five days per week for 20 to 30 minutes at a moderate to high intensity. If you want to significantly impact your health and/or body weight, perform cardio five to seven days per week for 30 to 60 minutes at a moderate to high intensity. Build up slowly and always listen to your body. If you feel pain, light-headed or dizzy, stop exercising immediately.
Considerations
Even if you have a chronic lung condition such as asthma, exercise can still be beneficial. You may need to modify the duration and intensity, but you will still improve the exchange of gases and the strength of the surrounding muscles. Before you begin any exercise program speak with your physician about limitations and or precautions you should take when exercising. You may also consider working with a certified fitness professional that has experience training clients with lung conditions.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- MayoClinic.com: Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons to Get Physical
- American Council on Exercise: Staying Fit with Lung Conditions
- "European Respiratory Journal"; Physical Exercise, Sports, and Lung Function in Smoking versus Non-smoking Adolescents; T.L. Holman, et al.; January 2002
