You breathe in and breathe out. It’s intrinsic, so you do it without thought or hesitation. Most of the time, you take no note of your lungs that are always working hard to fill the body with much-needed oxygen. Like every other organ in the body, your lungs require care.

Protecting your lungs, keeping your lungs healthy, and maintaining optimal efficiency in lung function and capacity should be a part of your healthy lifestyle. Read on for tips.

Clean Your Environment
The state of health for your lungs depends on how much clean air is getting in. Consciously reduce or avoid exposure to toxic air such as secondhand smoke, exhaust from motor vehicles, etc. Take safety precautions if you work in an environment that exposes you to pollutants. Clean your home and make it a dust-free and smoke-free zone. Also, open windows often to increase ventilation and use natural cleaning products as much as possible.

Maintain Good Habits
Keep your hands clean by washing them regularly with water and soap to avoid infections. Eat fruits and vegetables to maintain and boost your immunity, and drink plenty of water.

Don’t Smoke
Smoking is very bad for your health and has been linked to most lung diseases, including cancer. Smokers inhale toxins that damage their lungs. This leads to increase in mucus secretion and makes it harder for the lungs to clean themselves. Eventually, this will cause the airways to become narrower, making breathing more difficult.

Exercise More
Regular exercise keeps your body in shape, and that includes your lungs. Exercise increases your heart rate, making your lungs work harder to take in more oxygen and feed your muscles. Exercising consistently will make your lungs stronger and more efficient.

Do Breathing Exercises
Most people only use a small portion of their lungs with regular shallow breaths from the chest. So, one exercise you can do for your lungs is to practice breathing deeply; this involves breathing from your stomach. Slowly inhale while deliberately expanding your belly, hold the breath and then slowly exhale by letting the chest fall. Try to balance the time of inhaling and exhaling, and you can improve lung capacity by increasing the length of this exercise. This exercise clears your lungs and allows more oxygen into your body, thus increasing lung capacity.

Watch Your Posture
The lungs are made of soft tissue and fold into only as much space as they’re allowed. Slouching compresses your lungs, so sit and stand taller to give your lungs more room to expand. Also practice leaning back in a chair and stretching your arms up often.

Laugh More
Laughter works well for your lungs. It’s an exercise that works your abdominal muscles and forces stale air out of the lungs, thus letting in more fresh air. Actively work on maintaining and improving your lungs’ functions. Like every other healthy practice, it’s the small things that make a big difference