The era of 2 minute noodle has taken a toll on our overall health. The diets devoid of nutrients, polluted air, and contamination in every next thing have crawled inside our immune system and have made it vulnerable in the most terrible way. Children aged 5 with asthma, people gasping for air while climbing stairs, and cigarette smoking coming off as a trend are some of the ugliest facets of the digital age. An air-borne disease feeds on a weak respiratory system and poor lung capacity. This has led to a rise of diseases like Asthma, Bronchial infections, and low resistance to just about any disease. Is there a solution to this problem? Can your lungs breathe life for a while now?
The power of Yoga is invincible in unknown ways and the roots of the art are so strong that practicing it just for 5 minutes a day can cure a lot of our persisting issues. According to a study published on Harvard Health, practicing a simple Yoga routine that stretches not more than 10 minutes can help the body in amazing ways. So, do you think a 5 minute Yoga routine can enhance your lung capacity? Is Yoga going to put an end to your Asthma miseries? Here are practices that take less than or equivalent to 5 minutes of your day and levels up your health:
1. Bodily Improvements
Pranayama is a powerful technique to clear up blocked nasal passages, encourage deep breathing, and bring about a change in mental health. Amongst the 8 potent Pranayama techniques, Bhastrika Pranayama is considered as the most dominant, in terms of maintaining the lung health. Ancient Yogis referred to this practice as “the yoga breath of fire”, owing to its deep impact on the respiratory health, and forceful inhale-exhale protocol. Repeating the technique for about 50 times divided into two sets can help you with:
- Poor lung performance
- Allergies, asthma, tonsils, and even thyroid
- Balances the Doshas
- Powers up the immune system
- Spiritual awakening
If you are a beginner or at an intermediate level, then do not do this for more than a minute.
2. Preoperative Rehabilitation
The study later published on the official website of the National Institute of Health revealed that Yoga & Pranayama can help patients with Lung cancer and individuals who underwent Thoracic surgery. A group of 32 active smokers were utilized in the study that was later divided into two groups. One of the groups was asked to follow a daily Yoga regimen and the other group of smokers was asked to do simple breathing practices. A 7-day schedule revealed how the first group yielded maximum benefits and observed better health than the other group. The former had better response to the medicines and the medical routines offered. Yoga is beneficial for active smokers, lung infections, and individuals recovering from surgeries.
3. Pulmonary Functions
A research made use of an ancient Yoga cleanse system known as Kunjal Kriya (Voluntarily Induced Vomiting or ViV) along with some poses combined as a regime, to check the therapeutic effect on the pulmonary functionalities of the human body. A group of 18 healthy volunteers were tested with the ViV concept and were asked to do the Yogic poses for the given period of time. The individuals were tested 10 minutes after the Kriya on decided parameters like gender and baseline values. It was revealed that Kunjal Kriya improves capacity of lung muscles, decreases the airway resistance, and encourages excellent Vagal Tone. This is possible because Yoga can result into a significant rise in the Slow Vital Capacity and affects the Forced Inspiratory and Expiratory Volumes.
4. Exercise Tolerance & COPD
Can you imagine a 5 minute Yoga regimen catapulting your poor lung health into something amazing? This is a reality. A research was conducted on a group of individuals who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the intent was to improve their exercise tolerance or breathing patterns during workouts. The regimen involved intense Pranayama routine under the guidance of experienced teachers and gurus. Twelve weeks of dedicated practice brought about a lot of positive changes in the respondents with the most important being the increase in the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) capacity in patients with COPD. There were unexpected positive changes in the lung functions, alterations in the Inspiratory capacity, and improvements in the overall quality of life.
5. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension or PAH
Different from a regular case of High Blood Pressure or Hypertension, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension affects lungs in negative ways. If you suffer from the ailment then know that your high BP levels travels from your heart to your lungs making every organ in its way weaker and vulnerable. Patients with PAH have a set of arteries in their lungs go narrow or blocked. This disrupts the normal blood flow that further results into a high BP in your lungs. A study published online on National Center for Biotechnology Information solidified the positive effects of Yoga on the condition. A group of 75 patients was enrolled for the study and were put under various Yoga oriented regimen. After a period of 24 hours, the tests showed an improved ambulatory systolic blood pressure and patients recovering from minor PAH jitters.
Are you ready to pump up your lungs for good?