Deep breathing exercises have many health benefits.
Your breathing rate can have a profound effect on your emotional state, as well as your health. When you breathe deeply and take in more oxygen, you can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and stimulate your immune system. If you would like to augment your breathing you can practice yoga, do deep breathing exercises or use a device that helps you to train your lungs.
Instructions
1. Perform breathing exercises to work out your lungs. Inhale and hold your breath while counting from one to 10, and then slowly exhale. Repeat this process at least 10 times.
2. Take a yoga class. Yoga focuses on breathing and stretching. Much of the time is spent holding difficult poses while having to control your breath. This practice will help you learn to control your breathing and help to augment your lung strength.
3. Exercise your heart and other parts of the cardiovascular system. Jogging, swimming and biking are a few ways to improve your cardiovascular system and your breathing. If you haven't exercised for awhile, start off with 10 minutes a day, three days a week, then gradually move up to 30 minutes and then one hour, three times a week.
4. Observe your breathing rate whenever you can. When you are watching television, lying down, or commuting to work concentrate on observing your breathing rate. Breathe slowly in through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and exhale out through your mouth. This awareness of your breath will help you to control it better and can help you to instantly reduce your stress as well.
5. Use a lung expansion tool such as the ones available from Power Lung, or Expand a Lung. These devices work the same way that weight lifting does, by giving your lungs resistance, which makes them stronger and increases their ability to take in oxygen. As of 2011 these devices range in price from $29.99 to $99.99.
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