5 Effective Breathing Exercises for Improving Lung Compliance in COVID-19

 In COVID-19, Breathlessness commonly causes people to feel anxious which can make it worse. Staying calm and breathing techniques helps to manage it.

Patients may experience breathlessness with exertion when recovering from COVID-19. Patients may experience breathlessness when in bed, when sitting upright or when moving small amounts, such as during dressing. This can expend additional energy and cause increased anxiety. Patients may have reduced tolerance to everyday activities, walking around home or when undertaking exercise. Breathlessness may contribute to fatigue, which may be reported during recovery.

Breathing Exercises can cure the difficulties in lung functioning after COVID-19. It can improve lung function compliance, Increase ventilation and clear the airway. There are different breathing exercises to overcome this breathlessness. The most 5 Effective Exercises for Improving Lung Compliance in COVID-19 are as follows:

1. Pursed Lip Breathing

Pursed lip breathing works as by moving oxygen into lungs and carbon dioxide out of lungs. This technique helps to remove the air that is trapped in the lungs by slowing down breathing rate and relieving shortness of breath.

Technique

1.      Sit straight or lie down comfortably. Relax your shoulders as much as possible.

2.      Inhale through your nose for two seconds, feeling the air move into your abdomen. Try to fill your abdomen as well as lungs fully.

3.      Purse your lips like you’re blowing on hot food and then breathe out slowly, taking twice as long to exhale as you took to breathe in.

4.      Then repeat. Over time, you can increase the inhale and exhale counts from 2 seconds to 4 seconds, and so on.

Benefits

·         Controls shortness of breath

·         Makes each breath more effective

·         Improve lung function

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing involves fully engaging the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm when breathing.

Technique

1.      Lie down on a flat surface with a pillow under the head and pillows beneath the knees. Pillows will help keep the body in a comfortable position.

2.      Place one hand on the middle of the upper chest.

3.      Place the other hand on the stomach, just beneath the rib cage but above the diaphragm.

4.      To inhale, slowly breathe in through the nose, drawing the breath down toward the stomach. The stomach should push upward against the hand, while the chest remains still.

5.      To exhale, tighten the abdominal muscles and let the stomach fall downward while exhaling through pursed lips. Again, the chest should remain still.

Benefits

·         Improves oxygen supply

·         Slowing the breathing rate

·         Lowering the heart rate

·         Stabilizes blood pressure

·         Strengthening the diaphragm

·         Improving stability in the core muscles

·         Promoting relaxation

3. Blowing Exercises

Blowing exercises can be done in two ways:

a) Balloon exercise

Blowing up a balloon can cause miracle for your lungs. This lung exercise assists patients by permitting the lungs to expand with sufficient oxygen to meet the body’s demand. Blowing a balloon is an exercise you can do in your own home or anywhere whenever you want which can improve your lung capacity.

Technique

1.      Inhale normally and naturally.

2.      Exhale fully as you are blowing a balloon- make sure you have exhaled all of the air out of your lungs.

3.      Then, Inhale normally.

4.      Exhale fully to blow the balloon.

5.      Repeat this exercise for 5 minutes.

Benefits

·         Maintains sufficient supply of oxygen to lungs

·         More Oxygen supply helps to improve lung endurance

·         Reduces breathlessness and fatigue

·         Reduces stress and anxiety 

b) Straw exercise

This technique is very useful in people who have developed rapid and tight breathing. This exercise can changed the life of people who have abnormal breathing patterns.

Technique

1.      Inhale normally and naturally.

2.      Exhale fully through a plastic drinking straw - make sure you have exhaled all of the air out of your lungs.

3.      Inhale normally (not through the straw).

4.      Exhale fully out of the straw.

5.      Repeat this exercise for 5 minutes.

6.      Ideally, do this twice a day.

 Benefits

·         Maintains sufficient supply of oxygen to lungs

·         More Oxygen supply helps to improve lung endurance

·         Reduces breathlessness and fatigue

·         Reduces stress and anxiety 

4. Incentive Spirometer  

An incentive spirometer is a medical device that can be available easily on medical stores. This facilitate the patient to visually indicate the performance (inspiratory effort) and this visual feedback provides monitoring to their own efforts. This device gives the feedback regarding flow and volume and also prevent and reverse from atelectasis when used correctly and repeatedly. The visual feedback therapy serves as a motivation or goal for the patient to strive to meet by repeating the maximal effort repeatedly.

Technique

1.      Sit at the edge of your bed. If you can’t sit up completely, sit up as far as you can.

2.      Hold your incentive spirometer upright.

3.      Cover the mouthpiece tightly with your lips to create a seal.

4.      Slowly breathe in as deep as you can until the piston in the central column reaches the goal set by your healthcare provider.

5.      Hold your breath for at least 5 seconds, then exhale until the piston falls to the bottom of the spirometer.

6.      Rest for several seconds and repeat at least 10 times per hour.

Benefits

·         Helps to strengthen the breathing

·         Keep the lung active during bed rest

·         Prevents lung collapses

·         Lower the risk of developing pneumonia atelectasis and respiratory failure

5. Square Box Breathing

Square box breathing is a technique used when taking slow, deep breaths. It can enhance performance and concentration and also being a powerful stress reliever.

Technique

1. Inhale: Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose whilst counting to 4.

2. Hold: Keep the air inside and count to 4.

3. Exhale: Breathe out slowly for count of 4. Repeat.

4. Hold: wait another count of 4 until you breathe in through your nose again

Benefits

·         Improve longevity

·         Strengthens your diaphragm

·         Reduces stress and anxiety

·         Positively affects emotions and mental well-being

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