Breathing exercises, such as the Buteyko method and pranayama yoga, can help people with asthma breathe properly, reducing symptoms and the need for medication. These exercises retrain the body to use the correct muscles for breathing, which can take time and focus, but become easier with practice. The Buteyko method involves breath control, nose breathing, and relaxation, while pranayama focuses on balancing the breathing process and using the diaphragm and abdomen properly.
People with asthma often have difficulty breathing not only due to the constriction of the airways caused by their condition, but also because they may breathe abnormally, taking very rapid and shallow breaths. This leads to weakness of the muscles that aid in breathing and poor breath control, exacerbating the difficulties asthmatics experience, particularly during a full-blown attack. It is therefore advisable for these patients to practice breathing exercises for asthma to train them to breathe properly, which can help them react more effectively to attacks and even reduce symptoms and the need for medication. The Buteyko method and pranayama yoga are some of the best breathing exercises for asthma.
By following breathing exercises for asthma, people with the disorder can retrain their bodies to breathe more effectively. The upper chest muscles are often stressed and exhausted from overuse, while the lower chest, diaphragm and abdominal muscles are weakened from underuse. Exercises that force patients to relax, breathe deeply, and exhale all the air out of their lungs using the diaphragm can help their bodies learn to breathe properly. Patients usually tend to breathe too quickly, so it’s important to also focus on slowing and controlling the breathing rate.
Using breathing exercises to treat asthma is typically not a quick process. Most people will need to mentally focus on relearning to inhale and exhale properly, as their bodies have become accustomed to shallow breathing and concentration will be needed to get the right muscles to do the job. Over time and with practice, however, proper technique will usually become easier and begin to occur naturally, even during asthma attacks.
One of the best breathing exercises for asthma is the Buteyko method. This method follows three basic principles. Patients learn breath control, where they reduce their breathing rate with techniques such as holding their breath until it becomes uncomfortable, and then gradually increasing the amount of time they can do it. They are also taught to breathe through their noses to slow the rate of breathing. Learning to relax, particularly when having an asthma attack, is also key to the Buteyko method.
Another very useful exercise for asthma is pranayama. This is a yoga technique that focuses on breathing control. Practitioners work to balance their breathing process by maintaining appropriate air ratios during inhalation, retention and exhalation. It also promotes proper use of the diaphragm and abdomen to breathe properly, helping strengthen those areas and teaching patients how to inhale deeply and exhale fully.
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