Breathing Hard in the Mask? 5 Ways to Improve Lung Performance

Man is a surprisingly adaptable creature, and he easily adapts to various changes. Twenty years ago, no one knew what a cell phone was and that a laptop could be carried in a pocket. Now it is impossible to leave the house without this device. The same is with the adaptation to quarantine. Many companies have switched to online work, a person has learned to live within four walls, have fun through basketball betting on the internet, and communicate with loved ones through online platforms. And when we rarely go outside, in addition to keys and a wallet, we automatically put a mask, gloves, and antiseptic in the bag.

However, many are faced with someone who is hard to wear in a mask. Let’s consider what needs to be done in this case.

What to Do? 

1. Posture 

Trivial advice, but yes – correct posture helps to improve lung function. You just have to straighten up and it immediately seems as if breathing has become easier. It really is. Try to control so that your back is always straight and your chest is slightly in front when you inhale. In addition, good posture is good for the general health of the body and can help with other parts of the body, such as relieving back pain or improving digestion. So take a straight back as a habit, not only in quarantine but for the whole time!

2. Water 

Drinking a lot of fluids is the same hackneyed advice as to the previous one, but it’s not just that in all the rules of a healthy lifestyle they repeat about the beneficial properties of water. In addition to all the other benefits of keeping the body hydrated, adequate water intake maintains optimal moisture levels in the lungs, which contributes to better lung function. So plus for keys, a mask, a wallet, and an antiseptic – take a bottle of water with you from home. Less plastic, more value.

3. Breathing 

There are two types of breathing – diaphragmatic and chest breathing. Most people use the second type of breathing, but ironically, it is the first type that is more beneficial for the body and will help you breathe easier while wearing a mask. Without going into anatomical details, we can say that diaphragmatic breathing is breathing with the “belly”. With it, the chest almost does not move, and inhalation and exhalation are carried out using the muscles of the diaphragm. 

Let’s get back to the first point here: when you maintain the correct posture, you breathe through your diaphragm, not your chest. Everything in our body is interconnected. So, diaphragmatic breathing is when the lungs are filled throughout the entire volume and there is no feeling that you need to inhale a little more, as is the case with normal breathing. Inhalation and exhalation become slower, but this does not cause discomfort. So if you have to wear a mask or respirator for a long time, try this type of breathing. 

4. CO2 Tolerance 

As we mentioned above, the mask not only allows air to pass through more slowly but also retains carbon dioxide during exhalation. This is done so that we do not spread our own bacteria everywhere. We continue to breathe in residual CO2, which complicates the breathing and oxygenation of the body. 

5. Training 

Oh, yes, without sports anywhere. General athletic training and lifestyle greatly affect breathing and blood circulation. If you have shortness of breath after climbing the stairs one floor – well, apparently, it’s time to do exercises. During exercise, muscles release carbon dioxide, which is why we breathe more often while playing sports. But, with regular training, the muscles need less and less oxygen, respectively, they produce less CO2. And this leads to a decrease in shortness of breath during normal walking in masks, and, in principle, while walking.