Breathing is life. We all know that. Unfortunately, many of us don’t give a lot of thought to the quality of air we are breathing each day and how big an impact this can have on the health of the human body. Maybe that’s because in most circumstances, we have no control over the air quality. It’s really a two-fold thing; the quality of the air we breathe and how well our lungs absorb oxygen and deliver it to the bloodstream. Let’s look at just why healthy breathing is so important and some things you can do to improve the air your breathe and your quality of life.
What Breathing Does
The human body relies heavily on a constant supply of oxygen to the blood to function. The blood then carries that oxygen to every cell in the body. Oxygen is vital for the cells of the body to produce energy so you can function.
Here are just some of the benefits a steady supply of quality air and oxygen will do for your body and your health:
- Aids digestion
- Improves brain function
- Provides energy
- Boosts your immune system
- Reduces stress levels
- Gives you mental clarity
- Regulates heart rate and blood pressure
- And more…
The more efficiently you breathe and the better the air quality, the more efficient your body will perform and the better you will feel overall.
Tips To Improve the Quality Of the Air You Breathe
As was mentioned in the introduction, in many instances, you can’t control the quality of the air you are breathing, but you can to a degree.
Stay Clear Of Contaminated Air
While this is not always possible, as even walking around the streets will expose you to exhaust fumes, there are little things you can do, such as avoiding areas that are particularly dense with smog or dust, keeping clear of designated smoking areas, dining indoors rather than alfresco on busy streets, keeping clear of construction sites and so on. While doing these things isn’t going to make a massive difference, it all helps.
Move Out Of the City
Many people live in dense urban areas that are simply not conducive to providing a constant supply of fresh, clean air to breathe. If you have the option of moving, maybe even a sea change or relocating to a rural area, then this is one way you can vastly improve the quality of your daily breathing.
Spend More Time In Nature
Getting out amongst nature at least gives your lungs a chance to fill themselves with pure, clean air on occasion. Even visiting a local park that has lots of trees and gardens will do your health wonders. Head out to the countryside on weekends, take a bushwalk and spend some time near a waterfall or a creek.
The moment you take a deep breath of that country air, you can sense the difference between air quality in nature compared to that of urban areas.
Put Air Purifiers In the Home
No matter where you are living, indoors within the home you have a little more control over the quality of the air you breathe.
Having an air purifier in the bedroom, for example, will cleanse the air and provide you with clean oxygen while you sleep. This alone can make a huge difference to how you feel each day.
Indoors Plants
Filling your home with indoor plants is another great idea. Plants absorb carbon dioxide, which in turn refreshes the air inside the home, producing more oxygen with less pollutants. Indoors plants also have a positive affect on the psyche, so they serve a dual purpose.
How To Improve Your Breathing
Let’s now look at a few tips to improve your breathing efficiency, so more oxygen is delivered to the blood.
Perform Breathing Exercises
Make it a habit to spend some time each day inhaling deep breaths. Breathe in slowly through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. Be sure to fill your lungs to capacity before breathing out. This exercise will expand your lung capacity and enable you to absorb more life-giving oxygen. It will also increase your ability to hold your breath underwater.
Something else you can get involved in that focuses a lot on breathing exercises is yoga. Yoga is all about flexibility, calming the body and mind and practising your breathing. Meditation can work well too.
Work On Your Cardiovascular Fitness
Naturally, anything you can do to improve your cardiovascular fitness is going to improve your capacity to breathe and deliver oxygen to the bloodstream. While everyone should make it a focus to get regular exercise, you’ll also want to focus on exercises that get the heart and lungs working harder.
If you mostly do weight training in your exercise routine, add in some cardio exercises to take your breathing to the next level.
While most forms of exercise work the heart and lungs a little, unless it’s an activity that gets you sucking air, you won’t really be boosting your cardiovascular fitness in any major way.
The Takeaway
Air is life and the quality of your breathing and the air you breathe will improve your health and quality of life. Spend more time in fresh air situations, ensure the air in the home is good and don’t shy away from regular exercise. Improve your breathing and you will improve your life.
Sources:
The Importance of Proper Breathing for Your Overall Health
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22447-blood-oxygen-level
