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Breathing Exercises for COPD
DIR By: LightMove
Date: October 29, 2021, 3:42 am
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If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you're
likely all too familiar with two bothersome (and sometimes
distressing) symptoms: shortness of breath (dyspnea) and chronic
coughing due to the build-up of mucus in your airways.
Medication can help, of course, but there also are breathing
exercises and techniques for dealing with these symptoms. In
fact, certain breathing exercises—particularly those that help
strengthen the diaphragm—may offer benefits beyond bringing
in-the-moment relief.
According to the American Lung Association, in COPD:
"Stale air can build up in the lungs, leaving less room for the
diaphragm to contract and bring in fresh oxygen. With the
diaphragm not working to full capacity, the body starts to use
other muscles in the neck, back, and chest for breathing. This
translates into lower oxygen levels, and less reserve for
exercise and activity. If practiced regularly, breathing
exercises can help rid the lungs of accumulated stale air,
increase oxygen levels, and get the diaphragm to return to its
job of helping you breathe."
Exercises for Shortness of Breath
[img]
HTML https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/6911/2242/files/copd-breathing-exercises-1-730x410_480x480.jpg?v=1635492569[/img]
Dyspnea, which literally means "air hunger," can be scary:
Primarily due to lack of oxygen, it can feel as if you're
suffocating and be brought on by anything from certain scents to
pet dander to temperature extremes.
Anxiety is a common side effect of dyspnea, and it may cause you
to hold your breath (what's known as the dyspnea cycle).
If you use the OPUMP breathing trainer to practice every day,
the following breathing exercises will become second nature.
This way, when you find yourself out of breath, you will be able
to use them calmly and effectively.
HTML https://theopump.com/
Pursed-Lip Breathing
This exercise can be performed any time you feel as if you can't
catch your breath, but it's especially helpful during physical
exertion. When you experience shortness of breath during
activity, it simply means your body needs more oxygen. Slowing
your rate of breathing and concentrating on exhaling through
pursed lips will restore oxygen to your system more rapidly.
Relax your head and shoulders.
Keeping your mouth closed, breathe in through your nose while
slowly counting to two. This warms, moisturizes, and filters the
air.
Purse your lips, as if to blow out a candle. Exhale, without
forcing the air out, to a slow count of four. If two counts in
and four counts out doesn't feel comfortable or natural, set
your own pace; just make sure that you take twice as long to
exhale as to inhale (e.g., three counts in and six counts out).
Repeat.
Benefits of Pursed Lip Breathing
According to the COPD Foundation, this technique:
Slows breathing
Keeps airways open longer to allow the escape of stale air
trapped in the lungs
Reduces the work of breathing
Makes it possible to exercise or be physically active for longer
Improves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
Deep Breathing
Shortness of breath also can result when air becomes trapped in
the lungs. Deep breathing is one way to prevent this.
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, just
below your ribcage.
Breathe in slowly through your nose, directing the air downward
so that your belly rises but your chest remains relatively
still.
Breathe out through your mouth, feeling your stomach relax
toward your spine as the air leaves your lungs.
Techniques for Clearing Mucus
Increased mucus production, a common symptom of COPD, can
contribute to shortness of breath, trigger chronic coughing, and
put you at risk of infection if the mucus isn't cleared.
Controlled Coughing
Coughing is the body's way of clearing mucus from the lungs. But
when coughing isn't controlled, it can make things worse,
causing your airways to close and trapping mucus in the airways.
Controlled coughing loosens and moves mucus, and it's most
effective when done after using an inhaler or other medicine,
according to University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine
and Public Health.
Sit on the edge of a chair with both feet on the floor, leaning
forward slightly.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and fold your arms across
your belly.
As you exhale, lean forward and press your arms into your belly.
Cough two or three times with your mouth slightly open. Make the
coughs short and sharp.
Spit out the mucus that rose up from your throat and into your
mouth.
Take a break and repeat as needed.
Wash your hands.
Huff Cough
The American Lung Association suggests this version of
controlled coughing for bringing up mucus:
Sit in a comfortable position.
Inhale a bit more deeply than normal.
Using your stomach muscles, blow out the air in three even
breaths while saying “ha, ha, ha," as if blowing onto a mirror
to make it steam.
Postural Drainage
Postural drainage involves lying down in different positions on
a bed or on the floor in order to encourage mucus to drain from
the lungs. Your chest will need to be lower than your hips so
that gravity can help the mucus move, so you will need several
pillows to prop up your lower half.
It's best to practice postural drainage on an empty stomach, a
half an hour after using an inhaler. Hold each position for five
minutes. If you need to cough, sit up and do controlled
coughing.
To drain mucus from the front of your lungs:
Lie on your back. Place two pillows under your hips and a
smaller one under your head.
With one hand on your belly and the other on your chest, breathe
in, pushing your belly out as far as possible.
When you breathe out, you should be able to feel the hand on
your belly move inward.
To drain the sides of your lungs:
Lie on one side. Place two or three pillows under your hips. Use
a small pillow under your head.
Use the breathing technique described above.
After 5 minutes, switch sides.
To drain the back of your lungs:
Lie on your stomach with two or three pillows under your hips
and a small pillow under your head. Place your arms by your
head.
Breathe as above.
A Word From Verywell
Breathing exercises and other techniques can't take the place of
medication, oxygen therapy, or other measures for managing COPD
symptoms, but they may be helpful. Talk to your healthcare
provider about any exercise you'd like to try before adding it
to your COPD management plan.
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