Breath is the essence of life, but we take it for granted. Here are 6 simple breathing exercises that can help you take better care of your lungs and make them stronger.

Did you know that the maximum amount of air your lungs can hold—your total lung capacity—is about 6 liters? That is about three large soda bottles.

When you are about 20-25 years old, your lungs mature. But there are some natural changes that occur in the body as we age that can lead to a decrease in lung capacity. Muscles like the diaphragm weaken. The lung tissue that helps keep the airway open loses its elasticity, which means the airway becomes smaller. In addition, your ribs will change and become smaller, leaving less room for your lungs to expand.

Thankfully we have breathing exercises to keep our lungs healthy!

Benefits of breathing exercises：

Improves immunity
Clams down anxiety
Increases sleep quality
Decreases toxicity of the body
Improves digestive system
Good for cardiovascular health
Improve concentration and cognitive properties
Strengthen lungs

Six exercises to increase lung capacity：

Pursed lip breathing
Inhale slowly through your nose twice, keeping your mouth closed. Breathe normally. Pucker or "pout" your lips as if you were going to whistle and exhale. Repeat.

Diaphragmatic breathing
Sit straight or lie on your back. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose. As you breathe, make sure your stomach moves outward and your chest stays still. Exhale slowly for about two seconds as your stomach should move inward. Repeat.

Rib stretch breathing
Cross your arms across your chest and place your palms on either side of your chest. Breathe in through your nose until you can't breathe in any more. Feel your ribs dilate and hold your breath for 10-15 seconds, then return to a relaxed position.

Breath out with huff cough
Sit in a chair with your feet on the ground. Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose. Keep the back of your throat open, tighten your abdominal muscles, and exhale briefly and forcefully through your mouth two or three times.

Anulom vilom
Sit cross-legged, close your right nostril with your right thumb, and inhale slowly through your left nostril. On an exhale, close your left nostril with your middle finger, then exhale through your right nostril. Repeat this process for five minutes.

Simhasan
Get on all fours and cross your ankles. Place your palms in front of your knees with your fingers spread wide. Breathe in deeply through your nose, eyes wide open. At the end of the inhalation, open your mouth and bring your tongue as close to your chin as possible.

As you exhale slowly through your mouth, make a clear, steady "AAA" sound from your throat, keeping your mouth wide open. Do not strain or force the sound in any way. At the end of the exhale, close your mouth and inhale.

If you want to learn more about breathing exercises to enhance lung capacity, you can also choose a breathing exerciser like OPUMP. It provides a variety of breathing training courses, including enhancing lung capacity, enhancing lung function, training breathing rhythm, helping to restore lung injury, and improving breathing difficulties.

These courses can improve physical fitness, improve sleep quality, increase lung capacity, and make breathing easier.