By Praveen & Maheek Nair, Fitness Trainer, BodyProCoach
Lung capacity is important. It helps determine how well you perform, especially when it comes to cardiovascular exercise like running.
What is Lung Capacity?
Lung capacity is basically the total amount of air that the lungs can hold. The greater your lung capacity, the more oxygen can get into your bloodstream.
By improving your lung capacity, you’ll build more stamina, deliver more oxygen to your muscles, and generally feel more powerful and stronger. Just like any other organ, lung function declines with age, your lung capacity typically drops slowly after reaching your 30s.
There’s no easy way unless you work on it starts now.
Gasping for air while running doesn’t always mean that something’s wrong with your technique. In fact, lack of conditioning is often the cause, especially if you’re a beginner runner. Running deprives your muscles of oxygen. The more you push your body, the more oxygen you’ll need. Keep this going and you’ll get exhausted earlier than you wish.
Options to Enhance Lung Capacity: –
- Run a longer distance at a slower pace. This helps increase your red blood cell count, grow more capillaries, and strengthen your heart—it’s a muscle, after all.
- Run more frequently each week. This helps provide your body with enough stimulus to build more cell mitochondria and capillaries. This, in turn, allows more oxygen to course through your bloodstream.
- Consider cross-training. Choose cardiovascular activities such as cycling, swimming, and skipping that push your endurance without putting too much stress on your body.
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises are considered excellent to increase your lung capacity. There are several breathing exercises that you can do like diaphragmatic breathing, pursed-lips breathing, Pranayama. Practicing breathing exercises will help to increase your lung capacity and will keep your lungs healthy.
Cardio Exercise
Cardio exercises are not only good for your heart but also help to improve your lung capacity. Performing cardio exercises every day for 30 minutes can help you a lot. In cardio exercises, your lungs have to work harder, which helps to enhance their capacity. Running, cycling, swimming is some of the exercises that you can perform.
Nutritional deficiency
Vitamins and minerals that our body gets from food are necessary for its proper functioning. Nutrients help to keep our bones strong, brain sharp, and body healthy. The deficiency of any of the essential nutrients in the body may also cause muscle aches. Vitamin D is an absolute necessity for our muscles and the biggest source of this nutrient is the Sun.
Stretch to Enhance Lung Capacity
Rib Stretch:
This is another exercise to increase lung capacity.
- In rib stretch, you have to stand upright, with your back erect, and exhale all the oxygen from your lungs.
- Now breathe slowly and hold as much air in your lungs as you can.
- Hold your breath for 10 to 15 seconds before exhaling slowly.
- Perform this exercise three times a day to improve lung capacity.
Pilates Exercises
Breaking away from chest breathing is easier said than done, especially when you’re busy running trying to keep pace. But it’s not all doom and gloom.
One thing you can do to help you practice deep breathing while exercising is doing reformer Pilates
Pilates exercises are a form of cross-training that improves endurance without putting too much stress on your body. They are also ideal for improving lung capacity. Pilate exercises focus on isometric exercise. Its deliberate breathing patterns increase muscle strength, build mobility, and improve posture.