Breathing Techniques
Breathing techniques while exercising is beneficial and helps with endurance of exercise. Always remember to occasionally take deep breaths while exercising by breathing in through your nose and exhaling slowly out through your mouth. If you find yourself breathing rapid and shallow “panting”, perform the breathing technique “Pursed Lip Breathing “or “smell the roses, blow out the candles”.
Pursed-Lip Breathing Technique:
1. Standing or sitting with good posture, relax your neck and shoulder muscles.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed, and counting to yourself “one and two.” this does not need to be a deep breath.
3. Pucker or “purse” your lips as if you are going to whistle or gently blow out a flame on a candle.
4. Breathe out slowly and gently through your pursed lips while counting to yourself “one, two, three, and four.” With regular practice, this technique will become natural to you.
Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique
Diaphragmatic breathing exercises will help to build your strength in your breathing muscles including your diaphragm. The diaphragm is the largest breathing muscle and rests below your lungs. To perform
Diaphragmatic breathing exercises, perform the following steps.
1. Sit comfortably and relax your shoulders. Or you may practice this laying on your back.
2. Put one hand on your abdomen. Now inhale slowly through your nose and imagine filling up a balloon of air in your belly. (Push your abdomen out while you breathe in.)
3. Take twice as long to exhale the air out of your lungs. (Push in your abdominal muscles and breathe out.) You should feel your abdomen go down. Use along with the pursed- lip technique.
4. Practice pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing techniques together as often as you can. This will eventually become a normal breathing pattern for you.
“Blow–as–you–go" Technique or “Exhale on exertion”
Use the blow – as – you – go technique or exhale on exertion to help manage your breathing when effort is needed. Always remember to use pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing techniques when exercising or exerting. An example is when lifting weights.
Lung Medications and Hygiene
Performing lung hygiene prior to exercise increases your exercise capacity and endurance. If you take inhalers or nebulizers daily, take prior to exercise. Clear your lungs prior to exercise by coughing up phlegm in your chest if you have a cough clearance device such as a Acapella, Aerobika or use postural drainage/ vibration therapy devices such as a vest use them prior to exercise.
Perform the Huff Cough Technique after completing your lung hygiene therapy using the following procedure.
Huff Coughing Technique
1. Sit up straight with chin tilted slightly up and mouth open.
2. Take a slow deep breath to fill lungs about three quarters full.
3. Hold breath for two or three seconds.
4. Exhale forcefully with your mouth open but slowly, in a continuous exhalation to move mucus from the smaller to the larger airways.