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Ever have trouble catching your breath? Here’s why it’s
important to savor every inhalation.
| Take A Deep Breath |
Oxygen
#62, pg. 99 |
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By Linda Formichelli
 We
breathe every second of every day. Yet we rarely give the process a second
thought unless we’re exercising hard, scuba diving, or climbing through
the thin air around Mount Everest. Despite this devil-may-care attitude,
our bodies keep pulling air in and pushing it out an average of twelve times
a minute, which works out to 17,280 breaths daily or more than six million
per year. (If only we could do pushups so easily.)
Keep your lungs in tip-top shape by following these tips from Dr. Roseann
Russo, director of pulmonary rehabilitation at the North Shore University
Hospital in Manhasset, New York.
1. Don’t smoke.
Women tend to get chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema
and other lung problems at a younger age and with a shorter smoking history
than men.
2. Be in control.
If you have allergies that cause asthma, try to control the allergen. For
an allergy to dust mites, for instance, you could rid your house of heavy
carpeting and draperies and use mattress and pillow covers.
3. Get needled.
If you have a history of COPD or asthma, get a flu vaccination in the fall.
Better a moment’s sting than a season of suffering.
4. Mask it.
Wearing a respirator mask might eliminate breathing problems triggered by
the environment if you work with strong cleaning fluids, for example, or
use turpentine to clean paintbrushes.
5. Go to the top.
If your workplace lacks clean air, bring the issue to the attention of management
or forward your complaints to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
6. Get aerobic exercise.
The more you work out, the better your lungs will function. Says Russo,
“I’ve seen people with very bad emphysema improve with exercise.”
TOP TIP:
Slow, deep breathing will keep your body primed with oxygen, but to get
the most out of your exercise sessions, you need to hone your breathing
technique even further. Practice at each workout.
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To read the full article, pick
up a copy of Oxygen
#62
today!
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