News and Articles on Health

If you have COPD or (Asthma), there is no doubt you can get lots of benefits from an exercise program specifically designed to increase your lung power. The first benefits that come to mind are probably the most obvious ones. The more you work at it, the better you can breathe, right? And let’s not forget about the extra energy you get! If you’re like most other people with COPD, you don’t have much information about specific exercises that can really help you tackle everyday things. If you haven’t been to a physical or occupational therapist who specializes in treatment for COPD, you can’t be expected to know what to do to reduce and in some cases, eliminate shortness of breath.

COPD/Asthma exercise also relieves stress, improves mood, helps you think more clearly, enlivens your social life, and even gives you a chance to change your world! Think of what these benefits do for you.

Breathing – You have unusual awareness of your breathing, unlike most people who don’t have COPD. When you practice pursed-lip breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, you can get at least twice the benefit. Getting instruction from a trained expert can dramatically improve your lung power by showing you medically proven techniques to boost your oxygen saturation to a higher level.

• Meditation – Other people go a step farther, and the same practice becomes meditation.
• Mental Focus – Your routine breathing practice can also sharpen your thinking. A focusing activity like meditation enhances problem-solving skills.
• Mood – You lift your spirits with exercise. Respiratory disease is easier to manage when you have more energy. Your self-esteem and optimism helps you through rough times.
• Mind Training – Can you think of a time during exercise when you handled your symptoms well? You probably told yourself, “I can do this,” or “I know this doesn’t last forever,” even if you didn’t realize it. Imagine the power you have when you do the same thing intentionally. You’ll do it as deliberately as you do a physical exercise. Use these affirmations for all they’re worth!
• Be at the Top of the Class – Authors of a Duke University conducted a study on the effects of exercise on people with COPD. Dr. R. Emery and colleagues found that moderate aerobic activity helped them score better on vocabulary and written comprehension tests.
• Make Friends – You don’t have to exercise alone. And you don’t know anyone who doesn’t need exercise! Friends encourage each other on tough days. You can even do it in the comfort of your own home.
• Stick Around – Since you’re taking such good care of yourself, you probably won’t be spending as much time or money in the hospital. You’re doing your best to avoid being away from your friends during extended, isolating treatment.
• Think Bigger – You have a wealth of specialized knowledge. Share it! Educate people how important it is to exercise and breath correctly for a stronger pulmonary system.
• Keep at It – The best benefit of your lung exercises is your daily commitment to it. It’s not easy for anyone to stay with their exercise plan. Your good habits make your whole life richer.

Celebrate everything you have already accomplished with COPD exercise. Enjoy discovering even more activities that inspire you!

With further research on the condition called asthma, more and more effective medications and alternatives are being developed. It would be fair to say that we are nearing an age where asthma will soon become a distant memory. But until that day comes, people will have to depend on what is available out there today. While there are indeed a lot of proven safe and effective alternatives, some products and therapies still pose a danger to the general public because of the side effects that they may have.

When choosing which route to take it would be in your best interest to question the validity of each technique or medication that you may be interested in.

Always put your safety above anything else.

It does not matter how effective a certain method or drug is, if the side effects can cause great discomfort, it should not be taken into consideration.

So far when it comes to alleviating the condition three are known to work quite well and all of them fall into the breathing category; Pranayama, Buteyko and Papworth. While techniques as to how correct breathing is achieved for each may differ, they all teach how important correct breathing is when it comes to handling your condition.

Pranayama for example is yoga which is concentrates more on breathing than anything else. What’s good about Pranayama is that, there are a lot of varieties that you can choose from depending on your condition. Meaning you can just choose a specific set that concentrates more on breathing and less on stretching if you want to maximize your lung capacity or vise versa.

Buteyko on the other hand aims to achieve resistance to asthma by developing your body to cope with hyperventilation. By teaching shallow breathing you will be training your lungs to achieve full oxygenation while only taking short regulated breaths. Since the issue with asthma is in the lack of air, training your body to function normally when there is less air intake will allow you to stay control over your attacks.

Finally, Papworth is another breathing method which teaches how to regulate your breathing depending on the activity that you are doing. This breathing method emphasizes on nose breathing and also integrates relaxation technique and diet to achieve maximum effectiveness.

These three so far have proven themselves to help asthmatics handle their condition and gives them control over future attacks. Since breathing exercises do not require you to take any other supplements aside from practicing it regularly, there is no concern over side effects or contradictions with the regular medication that you are taking.