Did you know that even your lungs need exercise to stay healthy and keep your body functioning properly? Your lungs provide you with the most valuable element necessary for life: oxygen. Every cell in your body needs oxygen to survive. The more freely it flows through your system, the more energized, alert, and productive you will feel.

With regular practice, you can train your lungs to increase their capacity, which will help you take in more oxygen. This, in turn, will protect the…

Every day, you breathe thousands of times without even thinking about it. The inhalation and exhalation processes allow fresh oxygen to enter the bloodstream as carbon dioxide is removed from the body. However, deep breathing is a conscious practice that provides many health benefits beyond the standard breathing required for life.

When it comes to improving…

It's a fact of life we take for granted that breathing is with us from the moment we are born. One of the most basic functions of the human body, breathing not only provides oxygen to the body, but also clears fog from the mind and helps build muscles. However, at any moment we have difficulty breathing, we suffer immediately. The pain can be caused by physical dysfunction due to lack of oxygen or a surge of fear when we feel our connection to life is threatened. Breathing is so important,…

Did you know that 70% of toxins in your body are excreted through your lungs? Breathing is essential to life, but today we use less and less lung capacity. Think about it. When you are stressed, do you breathe deep or shallow? You'd be surprised how often we hold our breath!

Breathing is one of the most powerful tools we can use for self-regulation, energy…

Breathing is essential to life. Despite its importance, we are rarely aware of the way we breathe. You may be surprised to learn that there are right and wrong ways to breathe, and you may also be surprised to learn that if you don't breathe correctly, it can negatively affect your health in the long run.

What is optimal breathing?

Stop and take a…

Paradoxical breathing is a general term for a series of respiratory distress states.

In some cases, paradoxical breathing may be acute and require urgent action. In other cases, it can be a long-term problem. It can flare up when you feel stressed, leading to panic attacks and/or prolonged breathing difficulties.

In paradoxical breathing, the chest and abdomen function in opposition to each other. On inhalation, the chest expands (moves up and out) while the abdomen moves…

If you keep track of your weight, you may notice that you fluctuate between a few pounds a day, regardless of your personal habits. First, you should know that the experience is completely normal, and that the weight you see constantly disappearing and returning could be: water weight.

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What is water weight?

Your…

For most of us, breathing is an automatic process we barely notice. However, the simple act of inhaling and exhaling can have a big impact on our mood and thoughts. Deep breathing has long been used as a relaxation technique that can help both children and adults. Breathing exercises are one of the most effective calming strategies for children dealing with difficult emotions when tempers start to flare, for example.

Breathing exercises help kids build social emotional and executive…

Blood oxygen levels, also known as oxygen saturation, your blood oxygen level is a measure of how much oxygen your red blood cells are carrying. Your body closely regulates your blood oxygen levels. Maintaining a precise balance of oxygen-saturated blood is vital to your health.

More than 20% of the oxygen you inhale goes to your brain. If this vital organ doesn't get enough oxygen over time, your brain cells start to die. Similarly, if your heart doesn't get enough oxygen, you're at…

Whether you're trying to lose weight or gain weight - or even stay the same - stepping on the scale may be a regular part of your daily routine. Weighing yourself regularly is a useful indicator of success, but it can also help if you know how your weight changes from day to day or week.

Why can you reduce weight in the morning? Why does the number on your scale keep moving up and down for no apparent reason? Before you get depressed about your "numbers," you should know the facts…

COVID-19 is known to be a respiratory disease that causes severe lung damage and breathing problems, among many other health problems. It may take a while for your body to return to normal after a disease like COVID-19, and targeting the respiratory system can significantly affect your lungs, heart, and muscles.

As the virus continues to spread, you may wonder if strengthening your lungs will help you fight it off if you are infected. Raymond Casciari, a pulmonary ologist at St.…

Do you know how to breathe while running?

Many beginner runners soon find themselves out of breath. This usually means they are moving too fast. But it can also be caused by inefficient breathing while running.

Your breathing is critical, especially when you're running, which can cause you to feel short of breath. To maximize your performance, you must adjust your breathing and make appropriate improvements.…

Body fat percentage is a measure of body composition that shows how much of your body weight is fat.

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Why Measure Your Body Fat?

Weight by itself is not a clear indicator of good health, as it does not distinguish between pounds from body fat and pounds from lean body mass or muscle. A body fat test is an attempt to…

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Muscle mass is the amount of heart, smooth muscle, and skeletal muscle in your body - it's critical to your overall health. It can be measured along with fat mass and bone mass as part of overall body composition.

However, when people talk about muscle mass, they usually mean skeletal muscle.

This type of…

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Insomnia can take a toll not only on your energy and mood, but also on your health, work performance, and quality of life. Insomnia affects 30 to 35 percent of adults, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Stress is a common cause of insomnia because it keeps people awake, overthinking and unable to relax. About 30% of adults suffer from acute insomnia, while 10% suffer from…

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Insomnia can take a toll not only on your energy and mood, but also on your health, work performance, and quality of life. Insomnia affects 30 to 35 percent of adults, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Stress is a common cause of insomnia because it keeps people awake, overthinking and unable to relax. About 30% of adults suffer from acute insomnia, while 10% suffer from…

Anxiety is the body's normal response to stress. It's part of the "fight or flight" response that occurs when someone is faced with a real or perceived physical or emotional threat.

Anxiety may energize you or help you focus. But for people with anxiety, fear is not temporary and can be overwhelming. In such cases, doctors tend to recommend trying breathing exercises.

Breathing exercises are often used to help people relax or cope with stress. They can be important because…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a long-term lung disease that causes difficulty breathing. The disease affects millions of Americans and is the third leading cause of disease-related death in the United States.

Difficulty breathing is one of the most disturbing symptoms of chronic obstructive…

Although the scale is a useful tool for measuring weight loss, it is limited to assessing one component: weight. On the other hand, measuring body fat percentage can better gauge the effectiveness of your diet and exercise program.

A body fat scale is a device that a person can use to measure their weight and body composition at home. The term "body composition" refers to the relative percentage of body fat, muscle, and water.…