Breathing exercises are designed to help move secretions to more easily eliminate, facilitate oxygen exchanges, improve diaphragm mobility, promote chest drainage, regain lung capacity, and prevent or re-widen affected areas of the lung.
These exercises can be performed with the help of a physical therapist or alone at home, however, ideally they should always be performed on the recommendation of a health care professional and based on health history.
Simple exercises you can try at home include
In this exercise, you should lie on a sloping surface, keeping your head lower than your body. This will lead to the mobilization of airway secretions, which will make them easier to cough.
To perform this exercise correctly, the dominant hand must be placed on the navel and the non-dominant hand on the chest, in the area between the nipples. Then, slow breathing through the nose should be performed, in order to gradually raise the dominant hand, avoiding raising the non-dominant hand. Exhalation should also be slow, usually with lips half closed, and should lower only the non-dominant hand.
This exercise involves breathing using the abdominal wall and reducing chest movement, followed by passive exhalation, which helps improve chest wall movement and ventilation distribution, relieve shortness of breath and increase stress resistance. .
To perform this exercise you have to inhale slowly, imagining that you are in an elevator that goes up floor by floor. Therefore, you should inhale for 1 second, hold your breath, continue breathing for another 2 seconds, hold your breath, etc., for as long as possible, until you completely release the air.
This exercise should last about 3 minutes. In case of dizziness, it is advisable to stop and rest for a few minutes before repeating the exercise, which should be done 3 to 5 times a day.
This exercise should be performed sitting in a chair with your hands on your knees. Then fill your chest with air and slowly lift your outstretched arms until they are above your head. Finally, you must lower your arms again and release all the air from your lungs.
This exercise can also be done elongated and should be performed for 3 minutes.
This exercise is done with a straw, in which you have to blow air in a glass of water to make balls. To do this, you must breathe deeply, hold your breath for 1 second and release the air into the straw, slowly bubbleing in the water. The exercise should be repeated 10 times and should only be performed sitting or standing. If it is not possible to remain in these items, you should not perform the fiscal year.
Alternatively, the person may blow a whistle, inhale for 2 or 3 seconds, hold their breath for 1 second, and exhale for an additional 3 seconds, repeating 5 times. This exercise can now be performed for longer.
Watch the video below and watch other exercises you can do to strengthen your lung:
Breathing exercises are part of respiratory physiotherapy, which is usually used in people with acute or chronic lung problems, to help reduce symptoms and facilitate the recovery process.
Therefore, these exercises can be used in people with COVID-19 to relieve symptoms of shortness of breath, make coughing more effective, and reduce the risk of serious complications, such as pneumonia or respiratory failure.
Even in patients who may need to be admitted to the ICU because of COVID-19, exercise, as well as all respiratory physiotherapy, can be a very important part of treatment, strengthening the respiratory muscles, which can eventually be weakened by use. fan.
Breathing exercises are indicated for people who have
In addition, they can also be used whenever necessary to increase the flow of oxygen in the body.
These exercises should not be performed when the person has a fever above 37.5 degrees Celsius, as exercises can further increase body temperature. In addition, exercise is not recommended when the pressure is high, as there may be even more pressure changes.
For people with heart disease, breathing exercises should only be performed with the help of a physical therapist, as complications can occur.