How to have strong lungs: 4 healthy habits

Your lungs are one of the most important organs in your body and keeping them healthy and functioning is important to maintaining a robust immune system and protecting your overall health. Here are proven methods for how to have strong lungs that function properly.

1. Get as much cardio as possible

Physical activity forces your lungs to take in more oxygen, which helps all your other organ systems. Without exercise, your lungs can’t deliver all the excess oxygen that your body needs to function properly, which is why a sedentary lifestyle can lead to illness and poor health.

The National Institute of Health recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week for proper lung functioning. Activities include running, swimming, tennis, cycling, and walking. Many daily activities can double as exercise routines too, such as like gardening, cleaning, or walking to the store.

2. For strong lungs, do deep breathing exercises

When most people breathe, they naturally take small shallow breaths that only use a fraction of their lung power. When you make a note to breathe deeply, it can help open up parts of your lungs that are necessary to proper functioning.

Running can help force you to breathe deeply. But, if you are not a runner or you want to supplement your breathing routine, deep breathing exercises can be good to promote lung health.

When you get an illness like the disease caused by COVID-19, you might have issues with breathing properly. That is because your lungs don’t have the muscle memory to take in the necessary amount of oxygen. Deep breathing exercises can help you develop those muscles, which can increase your body’s ability to handle respiratory illness.

3. Stop smoking as part of how to have strong lungs

You should stop smoking immediately if you are a smoker. Trying to maintain good lung health while smoking is like trying to improve your diet while eating McDonalds daily.

While exercise and deep breathing can help, you’ll undo all the progress you’ve done immediately after you light a cigarette. Until you’re ready to quit and commit to a healthy lifestyle, you’ll be putting in a lot of effort for nothing.

Cigarette smoking is responsible for 480,000 deaths in a year and on average smokers die 10 years earlier than non-smokers. So, if you’re serious about the health of your lungs, it’s time to quit.

Aside from putting an end to smoking, it will also do you a lot of good if you stay away from any form of drug abuse, including any substance that contains opioids. While they may be effective for pain relief, opioids can be very addictive. That’s why it is important to seek immediate opiate addiction treatment if you find yourself struggling to stay away from such substances. 

4. Keep your home free of pollutants

Certain chemicals are found in many American households that can hurt the health of your lungs. It therefore goes against how to have strong lungs. This includes anything from air fresheners to asbestos insulation.

Some air fresheners contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene that can be damaging to your lungs. Many construction materials before the 1970s used the mineral asbestos. It has led to a deadly form of lung cancer called Mesothelioma.

Asbestos can be in anything from insulation to vinyl floor tiles and roofing materials. It can put the health of you and your family in danger. The Mesothelioma Cancer Network has more information and resources available regarding asbestos prevention and cancer treatment.

Concluding words on how to have strong lungs

The health of your lungs is vital to keeping your body properly functioning. Follow these simple steps to keep your lungs healthy to prevent serious diseases.