You must have heard it a million times that a healthy lifestyle is the key to a healthy brain, a healthy heart, and a strong liver. But, do you know that your diet and daily habits have a great impact of the overall functioning of your lungs? An average person takes as many as 6 million breaths in a year. So, it is essential that you inhale fresh air to keep your lungs healthy. There are several other simple yet effective things that you can do to have better respiratory health. So, are you ready to devote a few minutes to review your current lifestyle?
Steps to follow to keep your lungs healthy:
- Eat foods that are good for lungs- A diet consisting of fresh vegetables and fruits is considered lungs-friendly. Apples are great antioxidants and eating one apply every day will not just have impressive results on your respiratory system but on several other parts of the body. Watermelon, tomatoes, papaya, oranges, kiwi, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, strawberries, and broccoli are some other foods to include in your diet.
- Exercise daily- Physical activity provides strength to the heart, allowing it to pump more blood to our lungs. As the depth and rate of breathing increases, the lungs are able to absorb more and more oxygen, and also send more blood, rich in oxygen, to the muscles. But for people with lung ailments, exercise may make you feel breathless. If you do it in moderation, you’ll notice positive results over time. Walking, cycling, and swimming are some excellent aerobic exercises.
- Check the quality of indoor air- We spend a lot of time indoors and so, air quality inside your home majorly impacts your respiratory health. Some common sources of pollution of indoor air are carpentry, air fresheners, tobacco smoke, pesticides, building materials, pressed-wood furniture, and household cleaning products. Here are some things you can do to improve the quality of indoor air:
- Increase ventilation
- Keep the home clean
- Avoid spraying of air fresheners, pesticides and similar synthetic product
- Bring home indoor plants that do not just make your home pretty but also better the quality of air
- Quit smoking- Whatever we inhale has direct effects on our lungs. Smoking causes severe damage to airways in the lungs. Other than cancer, it gives birth to several other complications such as emphysema and bronchitis. It is also important to maintain safe distance from smokers and passive smoking is equally damaging.
- Take supplements- Apart from eating a balanced diet, you can also take a supplement to aid respiration. Fit and young adults usually do not need such supplements, but you can ask your doctor to suggest one in case you face respiratory problems. You can also try natural supplements such as Green tea extracts of grape seeds.
Conclusion:
So, protect your lungs today to breathe easier throughout your life. Whenever you experience any respiratory problem, you should consult your doctor. Getting your lungs checked once a year is a good idea.
