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If you're feeling as though your breathing is a little harder than it used to be, it might be that your lung capacity is decreasing. Lungs mature between the ages of 20 to 25 years old. By age 35, your lungs start to lose their capacity and slowly decline over time. The amount that lung decreases per year are around 2 percent, which isn't a ton but builds up over a lifetime. If you don't take any safeguards, by the age of 50, you might see that your lung capacity has decreased by a huge 30 percent. 

In the worse case scenario, someone may develop COPD — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — wherein blockages of the lungs severely decreases lung capacity to the point where simple exercises such as showering and getting dressed lead to shortness of breath.

The good news that is that you can protect your lung health and capacity through simple tactics. You are not condemned to running out of breath while climbing the stairs forever. You can choose to implement these changes and have the healthiest lungs possible.

In this article, we'll be going through the four things that you can do it increase lung capacity and maintain a healthful breath.

What Is Lung Capacity And Why Does It Decrease?

Your lungs are like elastic bags. They contract and constrict in order to let air in and out. But as you age, your respiratory system (including your lungs) undergo structural and physiological. These include:

  • A decrease in the strength of thoracic muscle, which is what expands and tightens your rib cage where your lungs are located
  • A decrease in the elasticity of the lung tissue, which makes them stiffer and harder to expand
  • Lungs may not function properly, causing air to be stuck within them. This decreases the space available for lungs to take in new air and breath out old air.
  • Signals from the brain to the lungs can weaken over time and nerves throughout the lungs might become less receptive.

Age isn't the only thing that can decrease the capacity of the lungs. If you don't use your lungs for a long time, the structural integrity of your lungs and diaphragm can also decrease. For example, when some people are hospitalized for long periods of time, their lungs can become so underused that they collapse. This condition is called atelectasis

Since the number of persons aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 35 million in 2000 to an estimated 71 million in 2030, the numbers of people faced with decreased lung capacity is going to be significant. 

How Is Lung Capacity Measured?

How do you know how your lung capacity compares for your age, you can go to a physician and get your lung capacity tested. Spirometry is a diagnostic test that measures lung capacity. It's most often used to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) or asthma. The spirometer tests several areas of lung function, from speed to overall capacity. Other tests that your health care providers might use to measure lung capacity includes:

  • Gas diffusion: Gas diffusion tests measure how much air moves through the alveoli every minute, determining how well the lungs absorb air.
  • Inhalation challenge: Tests how your lungs perform against irritants, like dust.
  • Exercise stress: Tests how lungs are affected by exercise.
  • Body plethysmography: Measures total lung capacity and air left in lungs after a full exhale.
  • Multiple-breath washout: This test is for people with cystic fibrosis.

Regardless of whether you get your lungs tested or not, it's a good idea to take care of your lungs with regular lung care. 

Things You Can Do To Increase Lung Capacity

The following list are not only good for your lungs, they are good for your overall health. Read on to find out the top 5 things you can do to improve your lung capacity.

1. Increase Vitamin D Consumption 

Vitamin D is one of the best vitamins to increase lung capacity. Low levels of vitamin D are often associated with respiratory malfunctions and low lung function has been linked to low vitamin D levels. This vitamin plays an important role in respiratory health through its effect on a person’s lung structure and development, in addition to respiratory muscle strength, inflammation, and one’s immune response to respiratory pathogens. 

Increasing your vitamin D can improve your lung function and respiratory health. If you live in a sunny area and get at least 15 minutes of sun a day on exposed skin, such as an arm or face, that means that you are getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D. If you live in the northern latitudes, chances are that you are vitamin deficient. If you live in a place like the northern United States and Canada, you should be taking a regular vitamin D supplement, which can be found in any drug store.

2. Cardiovascular Exercises 

Exercise is a key part of maintaining or improving your lung capacity. When you do cardio exercises, your body will improve how it uses oxygen. Your body becomes more efficient and is trained to use less energy to breathe. Regularly increasing your breathing rate strengthens your diaphragm muscle, improving its ability to expand and contract your rib cage. 

The other muscles in your body will also require less oxygen to move and produce less carbon dioxide. This will reduce the amount of air you will need to breathe in and out during regular life, making your decreased lung capacity less of an issue. Training also improves your blood circulation and strengthens your heart., which leads to a better delivery of oxygen to the muscles.

Although your lung capacity can be increased through regular aerobic workouts, it can only be increased by a modest amount. With regular exercise, your lung capacity will increase by 5 to 15 percent.

Regular exercise is essential to overall health. The recommendation is of 150 minutes of exercise everyweek, which means 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

3.  Stop Smoking 

This unhealthy habit can cause high blood pressure, poor circulation, and breathing issues. Chronic smokers are at risk of decreasing their lung capacity and causing a smaller volume of oxygen to get to their lungs. As a result, less oxygen will make it to the bloodstream. 

One of the most common causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is smoking; developing COPD will damage the airways and lungs, leading to the development of long-term conditions and severe health issues. 

When a person stops smoking, they can decrease the mucus that coats the lungs reducing resistance to air. This leads to improved breathing, reduced chronic swelling of the mucous membranes, and boosts oxygen absorption.

Smoking is a highly destructive habit, which not only leads to decreased lung capacity, but also to cancer and stroke. Quitting will be the most important thing you do for your health.

4. Deep Breathing Exercises 

Deep breathing exercises can help with lung capacity by strengthening the muscles which are used to expand and contract the rib cage. A study looked at the potential of deep breathing exercises to improve lung capacity for COPD patients and found that after 15 weeks, lung capacity improved for those doing the exercises. 

When completing breathing techniques, focus on how much air you take in and learn how to breathe more deeply. Remember to maintain good posture while doing deep breathing exercises. Poor posture compresses the lungs and reduces capacity. You should always sit or stand up straight and keep your head facing forward, not down. Refrain from slouching or leaning forward at any time while doing the breathing exercises; this allows you to use your lungs to their full capacity.

There are many deep breathing exercises to choose from, including diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and the many yoga breathing tactics. Deep breathing is also an effective way to relax. Why not integral deep breathing into your regular life with the Spire Stone, which sends signals to your phone when your body is entering a state of unhealthy stress. These signals tell you when it's time to stop, relax, and do some deep breathing. This will not only make you feel great, but it will also help increase your lung capacity.

Healthy Lungs Throughout Your Life

Although some decline will inevitably come with age, it doesn't mean that you need to resign yourself to having trouble breathing. As you can see from this post, there are many things you can do to improve your lung function and help your breathing stay healthy. After all, there are 70- and 80-year-olds that still perform and win in triathlons. They may not be as effective as they were in their "prime" — but this is an impressive feat nonetheless. In a lot of ways, age is just a number. Consistent healthy habits are the key to a lifelong health.