Do You Prioritize Having Healthy Lungs?
Are you prioritizing your health? What about doing activities to promote healthy lungs?
When we think about our health, we should remember to put healthy lungs at the top of our priority.
We can easily forget that healthy lungs are essential for a healthy body. You need to keep your lungs strong and healthy. But it can be easy for us to neglect them because we can’t see them. Additionally, we literally breathe without thinking about it. Another reason why we forget to prioritize having healthy lungs.
Having healthy lungs improves not only our physical and mental health but our overall quality of life.
Healthy Lungs: An Overview
What is lung capacity? This is the total amount of air that your lungs can hold. However, over time, we see a decrease in our lung capacity. This usually happens during our 30's and up.
Our lungs, just like any other part of our body age with time. They become less flexible and weaker as we age. This makes it more difficult for us to breathe and faster for us to get tired. We also feel shortness of breath a lot faster than when we were younger.
That's why reminding ourselves to keep our lungs healthy gets more important as we age.
Fortunately, there are exercises and habits that we can do to help maintain and increase one's lung capacity. This will make it much easier to keep your lungs healthy and get blood pumping throughout your body to increase oxygen levels.
Tips for Healthy Lungs
Keep Your Lungs Healthy by Not Smoking
It goes without saying that cigarette smoking is dangerous to one's health. Cigarette smoking is also one of the major causes of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This is why, in order to keep our lungs healthy, it's best to stop smoking, or never start at all. Your lungs will thank you for this.
Exercise Regularly for Healthy Lungs
Besides avoiding cigarettes, another important habit to get into is getting regular exercise. This is probably the most important thing you can do for the health of your lungs.
Exercise doesn't only keep your body and mind in shape, but it keeps your lungs healthy too. How so?
When you exercise and move your body, your heart beats faster. This makes your lungs work harder.
As you exercise, your body needs more energy to fuels your muscles. So, your lungs increase their activity in order to deliver more oxygen. This strengthens your lungs and heart muscles.
Cardio exercises such as running, jump rope, or swimming is a great way to strengthen your lungs and keep them healthy.
Eat the Right Foods For Lung Health
Your diet plays a big role in your lung's health.
Some foods contain nutrients that help protect your lungs and optimize lung function. These foods include apples, blueberries, peppers, pumpkin, yogurt, lentils, and beets. You can also add green tea, coffee, olive oil, and turmeric to your diet to boost your lung's strength and flexibility.
Spend Time Outdoors
Make a point to get outside each day and breathe in the fresh air. Fresh air is good for your lungs and your physical and mental health.
But remember to apply sunscreen before stepping under the sun in order to protect your skin.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
We spend most of our time indoors. This is why it's so essential to improve and keep our indoor air quality clean.
There are lots of ways to do this. Spend time cleaning your home regularly. Wash your linens, vacuum in all rooms, and use air purifiers or humidifiers when possible.
Get Regular Check-ups
Regular check-ups help prevent diseases and sicknesses. It's important to get regular physical check-ups even when you are feeling well.
Some lung diseases aren't easily detected. So, going for yearly or quarterly check-ups will help catch these diseases during their early stages.
Related: Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer
Avoid Exposure to Indoor Pollutants That Can Damage Your Lungs
Some indoor pollutants include secondhand smoke, chemicals in the home, asbestos, and radon. These can all cause or worsen lung disease.
Make sure to have your home or workplace regularly checked and maintained to keep it clean and free from pollutants.
Another cause of lung cancer is exposure to asbestos.
When a person inhales asbestos, its fibers can enter and become lodged in one's lung tissue. Over many years, these fibers can cause damage to the lungs.
Check out our blog post below to learn more about asbestos and lung cancer.
Related: Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer
In Conclusion
Your lungs are essential for life even if you don't think about them regularly. Don't take your lungs for granted. It's so important to prioritize having healthy lungs by doing these suggestions.
