BREATHING EXERCISES – Natural remedy against SARS Covid-19 virus
How to strengthen your lungs to fight the SARS Covid-19 virus?
Viral infection with SARS Covid-19 has been a public health problem the world has been battling for a good year. The infection most affects the individual’s respiratory system, especially the lungs, which can also have serious consequences. What they are depends on the course of the disease and the condition of our lungs before infection.
The lungs are the largest component of the respiratory system and take care of the exchange of respiratory gases – oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and tissue. This process is called breathing. Breathing is a basic life function without which an individual cannot live. It is reflexive and most of the time it takes place subconsciously. The lungs do not regenerate, so caring for them is extremely important.
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The SARS Covid-19 virus causes an infection in the lungs that can lead to a variety of complications, which, however, vary from individual to individual. Some have a mild form of infection, while others may face severe complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome. This ends in death in a third of cases.
Experts note that 37% of patients have the virus reduced oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. Gas exchange takes place in the lungs, more precisely in the alveoli – the alveoli. Reduced respiration of respiratory gases results in a reduced supply of oxygen to tissues and organs, which in turn can affect their functioning.
SARS Covid-19 & nbsp; significantly affects pulmonary capacity. The average value of the lung capacity of an adult individual is 4-6 liters, and it depends on the sex, age and health condition of the individual. It is defined as the volume of air in the lungs after maximal inhalation.
Breathing exercises – training that strengthens your lungs and consequently improves your lung capacity
Good lung capacity plays an important role in maintaining your health – the greater it is, the easier it will be for your lungs to cope with various diseases and burdens. If your lung capacity is reduced, this poses a high risk of death from fighting the SARS Covid-19 virus. This is also the reason that mortality in the elderly is higher, as with age, lung capacity decreases.
Fortunately, there are exercises that can help maintain and increase lung capacity so that your lungs remain healthy and in good shape. We call them breathing exercises. These basically consist of a slow deep inhale and a maximum exhale. They can be performed with or without accessories. They are used in the rehabilitation and treatment of lung diseases or in health promotion programs.
Purpose of breathing exercises:
- improve lung ventilation,
- prevent pulmonary complications in lung diseases,
- increase the strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles,
- correct irregular breathing,
- achieve relaxation,
- maintain chest mobility,
- to facilitate expectoration,
- reduce energy expenditure for respiration and
- improve the quality of life.
Abdominal breathing
A person basically has two respiratory patterns, which depend on the activity or his psychophysical activity during the day. It is the way an individual breathes during the day and can consciously control it. We know chest breathing – breathing mainly with the pectoral muscles – & nbsp; and abdominal breathing.
Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is breathing with the diaphragm or the diaphragm, which is the main respiratory muscle. It is characterized by a characteristic outward movement of the abdomen when inhaled. That’s how breathing is slowly and deeply. With this way of breathing, we breathe with the whole lungs, which means that more air enters the lungs than with chest breathing, in which we fill the middle part of the lungs. Abdominal breathing is anatomically most optimal, because the body uses the least energy for it, and also helps to relax better. It improves be so perfusion (blood circulation) and consequently also diffusion ( better gas passage) & nbsp; lungs. With such breathing mechanics, babies breathe.
How do we perform abdominal breathing?
The easiest way to learn it is with & nbsp; with the help of a hand placed on & nbsp; abdomen slightly above the navel. Inhale slowly through your nose. While inhaling with your abdomen, push your hand away from your body as if air is filling your abdomen. Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds. A slow exhalation follows, bringing the hand closer to the body again. You can see the course of the exercise in the video below.
https://vimeo.com/533558660
Performing breathing exercises
The basis for performing breathing exercises is slow abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, without holding your breath. The position during the exercises should be comfortable, the spine straight. It should allow a relaxed movement of the abdomen and chest. A sitting or standing position is recommended. Breathing exercises can be performed every day, several times a day for 3 to 5 repetitions. They can be performed with or without aids, or with a combined movement of the hands. There are many variations of breathing exercises and you can see them here.
Breathing is a basic life function without which an individual cannot survive. That is why it is important to take care of our lungs already when they are not fighting various viruses and other diseases. In addition to breathing exercises, it is important to live a healthy life and avoid bad life habits (eg smoking). It also helps a lot in maintaining a healthy lifestyle regular physical activity, which also has positive effects in fighting SARS Covid-19 virus. You can read more about this here.
