Breathing to Beat the Heat
The hot summer sun can be hard on our bodies and even our moods. Runners may experience shortness of breath and heat induced fatigue; and those suffering from COPD may have heightened symptoms or even struggle to breathe easy. Global warming is not doing us any favors here but there are some ways to condition the body to breathe easier in extreme conditions, and even some breathing exercises you can practice in the moment to cool down.
To condition the body to breathe easier you will need to increase your lung capacity. Regular aerobic exercise can help increase your lung capacity though only by a modest amount. It’s still recommended for your overall health and wellness to include regular cardiovascular/aerobic exercises atleast three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes per session. When you increase your heart rate through intense aerobic activity your body delivers fresh oxygen to the bloodstream (and energy to your muscles)-it is through this process that you can slowly and modestly increase your lung capacity. The more efficient and effective route is to strengthen your respiratory muscles (the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles) by using a breathing resistance exercise device like Expand-A-Lung. You can safely use the Expand-A-Lung twice daily if you desire. For best results it’s recommended to follow the instructions on the Expand-A-Lung website and complete the full exercise atleast three times a week. The exercises should take no more than a few minutes and you will notice results in as little as two weeks. You should experience increased stamina which will make it easier to work out in hot weather. Additionally, you will notice less shortness of breath making the heat more tolerable. A combination of breathing exercises with Expand-A-Lung as well as increase aerobic activity would be the ideal recipe to increase lung capacity.
Even with conditioning you may have moments where the heat becomes a little too much to bare. The good news is there are actually yogic breathing exercises that can help lower your body temperature in the heat of the moment so to speak. Below are two excellent options from www.Gaiam.com
Left nostril pranayama: Starting with your right thumb, hold your right nostril closed and breathe slowly in and out through the left nostril. Pause at the inhale and exhale. Do for 4-8 minutes.
Shitali pranayama: Shitali in Sanskrit literally translates to “cooling.” Sitting in a comfortable position, take 2-3 deep breaths, roll your tongue (or purse your lips in a “O” shape if you can’t roll your tongue), and inhale deeply through your mouth and exhale through your nose. Do this 5-10 times until you feel the cooling effects.
Getting low to the ground helps tremendously. While these breathing exercises can be performed while standing it helps if you can sit low to the ground or even laying down on mat.
As the heat continues to rise diving deeper into the summer it’s nice to know all you need to do in order to cope is breathe.
