Healthy Practices for COPD
Give your health a boost
As you consider your health and wellness, be sure to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program or making any changes to your diet. Your doctor is the only one who can advise you on the appropriate level of exercise and nutritional guidelines that best meet your needs. The information provided here is not meant to take the place of your doctor’s advice.
Taking your medication as prescribed, keeping active, and eating well can help you stay in charge of your condition. Exercise can help improve your body’s use of oxygen. Eating well can help you maintain a healthy body weight, which may affect your symptoms. So let’s start incorporating some healthy habits.
Important Exercise Tips:
Always keep your rescue medication on hand
If needed, take medication before exercising
Start with a warm-up, end with a cooldown
Limit outdoor exercising if air quality isn’t great
Stop exercising if you experience chest pains or shortness of breath, or if you develop a cough
Use your oxygen if prescribed
Do not exercise if you’re sick, have chest pain, are out of oxygen, or are feeling dizzy
Breathing Exercises
Always talk to your health care professional before beginning any new breathing exercises.
Over time, conditions like COPD can reduce the lungs ability to take in fresh oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
Breathing exercises can help your lungs work more efficiently. If practiced regularly, breathing exercises may help rid the lungs of stale air, increase oxygen levels, and help you breathe better.
Two types of breathing exercises taught by health care professionals are pursed lip breathing and belly breathing.
Pursed Lip Breathing
This breathing exercise helps keep airways open longer so more air is able to flow in and out of your lungs.
Practicing pursed lip breathing is simple:
Breathe in through your nose
Breathe out at least twice as long through your mouth through pursed lips
Belly Breathing
Belly breathing, also called diaphragmic breathing, helps retrain your diaphragm to assist with filling and emptying your lungs as your breathe.
To practice belly breathing, follow these steps:
Start by breathing in through your nose. Pay attention to how your belly fills up with air. You may want to put your hands lightly on your stomach to feel how your belly rises and falls as you breathe
Breathe out through your mouth at least two to three times as long as your inhale
Be sure to relax your shoulders as you breathe