The 1-minute breathing exercise doesn’t exist. But it’s true; some breathing techniques take less than a minute. However, to get maximum results, the average breathing technique is carried out for more than 1 minute so that the lungs are healthy.
Healthy lungs allow the body to store large amounts of air. With a large air storage capacity, the body is not easily breathless.
Unfortunately, with age, lung capacity will decrease, especially if you have a respiratory disease like asthma or COPD.
That’s why you must regularly practice several breathing techniques to maintain and increase lung capacity, including 1-minute breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises for the lungs
People with lung problems are at risk for decreased lung function. Several factors that may cause a person to experience reduced lung function include:
- smoking
- asthma
- lung cancer
- COPD
- emphysema
Reduced lung function can lead to several respiratory problems.
Fortunately, with proper 1-minute breathing exercises, lung function can improve, and the body can store more oxygen. What do the breathing exercises look like?
1. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises
This breathing exercise involves the diaphragm and the abdomen. This technique is said to help ease your efforts when you inhale.
In this breathing, the incoming air will fill the stomach so that it expands, while the chest does not move much.
Although you can apply a 1-minute breathing exercise with this technique, it is advisable to do this exercise for 5 minutes a day.
Here are the steps for this breathing technique:
- Sit relaxed while leaning back.
- Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
- Inhale through the nose for two seconds, and feel the air move to fill the stomach. Feel your tummy getting fuller and more prominent. Your stomach should move more than your chest.
- Exhale for two seconds through slightly parted lips while feeling the stomach deflate.
- Repeat ten times. Keep your shoulders relaxed throughout the repetition, and keep your back straight during this diaphragmatic breathing exercise.
2. Pursed-lips breathing exercise
According to the COPD Foundation website, this breathing technique is appropriate for those suffering from the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This 1-minute breathing exercise reduces the number of breaths you take and keeps your airways open longer.
Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth as long as you can with pursed lips.
Here’s how to do breathing exercises with the pursed-lips breathing technique:
- Inhale slowly through your nose, making sure your lips are closed.
- Exhale slowly through pursed lips or tiny open. Exhale as slowly as possible, longer than when you inhale.
- Repeat. You can do it standing or sitting.
3. Rib stretch exercises
This breathing exercise technique is relatively easy to do. The key to this exercise is to hold as much air in your lungs as possible for 10-25 seconds.
This technique can help increase lung capacity if you practice regularly, at least once daily.
It would be best if you did this breathing exercise three times daily for more effective results. Do breathing exercises 1 minute to 5 minutes each session.
Here are the steps for breathing exercises with the rib stretch method:
- Stand straight and body straight.
- Exhale all oxygen from your lungs.
- Take a slow breath, and fill your lungs with as much air as possible.
- Hold your breath for 10-15 seconds.
- If you cannot immediately hold your breath for that long, hold it for 6 or 7 seconds. Increase bit by bit until you get used to having your breath for 10-15 seconds.
- After going through 10-15 seconds, exhale again until all the oxygen from the lungs is out.
4. Numbered breathing exercises
This breathing exercise can be helpful for anyone who wants to increase lung capacity.
With this 1-minute breathing exercise technique, you must do the calculation up to 8 times without stopping.
How to do numbered breathing techniques are:
- Stand up straight with your eyes closed, then take a deep breath.
- As you inhale, imagine the number 1.
- Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale.
- Inhale again while imagining the number 2.
- Hold the breath again for a few 3 seconds, then exhale.
- Inhale again while imagining the number 3.
- Continue until you imagine the number 8.
5. Pranayama lung exercise
Perform this 1-minute breathing exercise technique while sitting by alternating the right and left nostrils.
The way to do this pranayama lung strength exercise is also relatively easy:
- Sit cross-legged with an upright back position.
- Close the left nostril with your finger.
- Take a deep breath and slowly with the right nostril open.
- When you have maximally inhaled, close the right nostril and open the left nostril simultaneously to exhale slowly.
- Exhale from the left nostril to the maximum.
- Inhale again through the left nostril.
- Then, close the left nostril again, and exhale through the right nostril. Take it out slowly.
- Do it continuously, alternately up to 10 times.
