Anyone that smokes or is exposed to second-hand smoke knows that healthy lungs are important. It doesn’t take long to run out of breath for people that do not have healthy lungs. Have you ever lived in a low altitude area and then took a vacation to somewhere a mile above sea level? You have probably found yourself breathing harder and possibly needing oxygen because you have shortness of breath. Proper diet, exercise, and taking good care of our bodies can help to prevent lung damage from occurring. Our bodies can only survive for 3-4 minutes without oxygen. Most people actually pass out before they even hit the 4 minute mark. That is pretty scary for anyone, now what about those people that smoke? Their lung capacity is even smaller which means they could die in a couple minutes without oxygen.
Everyone knows that smoking causes lung cancer and severe lung damage. With all the bad effects of smoking, why do some many people do it? Well, for one, it is an addiction for most people. Some people start smoking due to peer pressure. Others start because they grew up in an environment where smoking was prevalent. Some people simply smoke because it helps them stay skinner. The only reason you stay skinner is because you eat less because you are constantly sucking on the cigarette.
There are several careers that actually cause lung damage. Hairdressers, steel workers, coal miners, painters, and welders are all exposed to harmful chemicals that can hurt your lungs. Employers in certain fields are required to give their employees masks that can protect you from inhaling harmful chemicals. If your employer doesn’t offer one, ask them to purchase some or bring in your own. It won’t hurt the feelings of your beauty salon clients to see you put on a mask when you are dying their hair.
One of the best things you can do for your lungs is to exercise each day. Try to walk at least 3,000 steps, this is a mile and a half of walking each day. If you can walk that far, you will start to improve your health. Build-up to bigger exercises if you have not done them in the past. Aerobic exercises are the best exercise out there to build healthy lungs. Aerobic exercises require you to breathe more air and maintain a higher level for at least 20 minutes. Running, jogging, and dancing are a few aerobic exercises that can really get your heart rate up and help you build healthy lungs.
Try to get your weight down to a healthy level. Even having an extra 20 pounds on your body can cause your lungs to breathe heavier. Your best bet to find out what you should weigh is to talk to your doctor. They will be able to tell you what your weight loss goals should be and how you can accomplish them.
Developing healthy lungs can easily put an extra 10 years on your life expectancy. Daily exercise is the key to building healthy lungs. If you smoke, now is the time to quit. If you live with a smoker, encourage them to quit. They are causing damage to your lungs, even if they do smoke outside. The harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke can remain in the air for 20 minutes. So this means you can walk right into a cloud of smoke after they have put out the cigarette and gone back inside. The sooner you start to develop healthier lungs, the longer you will live. This means you will be around to watch your kids grow up or to see your nieces and nephews get older. Think about your loved ones before you pick up your next cigarette and damage your lungs and their lungs.