Breathing exercises for breathing difficulties
Breathlessness can have various causes. It can be psychological, illness or stress related. Our body actually shows us automatically how to deal with it: It puts itself into a position that makes breathing easier: In addition to these positions, it is important to make sure that you continue to breathe effectively despite the excitement about the shortness of breath: The faster and shallower you breathe, the more ineffective your breathing becomes, because so-called dead space breathing increases.
As a countermeasure it can help to breathe in consciously in such a way that the chest widens very much laterally. – This includes, for example, the coachman’s seat, where the arms are supported on a table or both while seated. – Another position that makes breathing easier is the goalkeeper’s stand, where the hands are supported on the knees while standing. – Lying flat on your back, on the other hand, is a bad position for respiratory problems.
Breathing exercises against snoring
To prevent snoring, breathing exercises can be used to strengthen the palate and throat muscles. This includes, for example, daily singing; particularly sharp sounds such as “Ya” or “Ye” strengthen the corresponding muscles by shortening the phases of relaxation. Loud singing of the vowels can also be supportive. In addition, exercises to strengthen the jaw muscles with tension against pressure and the tongue muscles with strong pressure on the palate are helpful in the fight against snoring.
Breathing exercise to fall asleep
There are various breathing exercises that make it easier to fall asleep. The most effective, the so-called alternating breathing, ensures relaxation and emotional balance. You sit down on a chair with a straight back and fix a point on the ceiling so that your head is slightly raised.
However, the shoulders and back are as relaxed as possible. The left hand lies loosely on the knee and the thumb of the right hand closes the right nostril, so that one can only breathe in through the left nostril. The inhalation should last about 5 seconds (longer if possible) and go as deep as possible into the abdomen, so that it bulges slightly forward.
During the exhalation, hold your left nostril with the little finger of your right hand. The exhalation should also last at least 5 seconds. This exercise can be done for about 10-20 minutes and helps to relax the muscles, to release emotional ballast and stress.
Breathing exercises for pneumonia
In the case of pneumonia it is important to cough up the secretions and mucus in the lungs properly, as there are also many bacteria in them. This is done by means of a breathing exercise in which you first have to breathe in and out 5 times. The focus of the breathing is on the diaphragm to strengthen it and at the same time to protect and relieve the lungs.
The aim is to breathe as deeply as possible into the abdomen. Furthermore, the lip brake can be combined with this, in which the lips are placed on top of each other and the air is only blown out through a small opening when breathing out. If this was repeated 5 times, the mouth remains open after inhalation and the breath is held.
Now the chest and stomach must be tensed and the air must be pressed out of the lungs as quickly as possible. This triggers a cough reflex when performed correctly. This releases mucus in the lungs, which can then be spat out.
Another technique for cleaning the airways is to expel air at certain sounds, such as “T” or “K”. This sets the chest in vibration and loosens the mucus. The same effect is also achieved by buzzing an “M” during exhalation. In addition, it is important in the case of pneumonia to keep the airways open. This can be achieved by simple body positions such as standing with the arms supported on the thighs or by slightly raising the upper body when lying on the side.
