Research has found that the key to a long life is the ability to breathe intact. The ability to breathe intact is closely related to the amount of lung capacity; the greater the lung capacity, the better the breathing ability, the better the overall functioning of the body, and the greater the life expectancy.
Generally speaking, when we are in our 30s, things like memory, body flexibility, and even muscle healing slowly decline year by year. In addition to that, we may also lose the ability to breathe properly.
Studies have found that for each of us, lung capacity decreases by 12% between the ages of 30 and 50. And the rate at which our lung capacity decreases accelerates as we age. When we reach the age of 80, we will inhale as much as 30% less air than we did when we were younger, and we will seem to strain more and breathe significantly faster. In this breathing pattern, we are more likely to develop high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, and even a decline in immunity.
As we age, our chest bones become thinner, deformed, and in the end, slowly involute. Under this mechanism, the muscle fibers around the lungs become weak and can easily obstruct the flow of air in and out, eventually leading to a decrease in lung capacity.
In recent years, scientists have begun to evaluate the regimen that ancient Tibetans took for granted. The Vermillion Heart Study tried to clarify in the 1980s whether lung size had anything to do with longevity. They collected data from 5,200 subjects over 20 years and found that the biggest indicator of longevity was not genetics, diet, or daily exercise, as commonly thought, but lung capacity. The smaller and less efficient the lung capacity, the more likely the subjects were to get sick and die. And the smaller the lung capacity, the shorter the life. Conversely, larger lungs equated to a longer life span.
In another study, lung capacity data from more than 1,000 subjects across 30 years were compared with each other. The results were the same. However, these indicative studies do not show how people with degenerated lungs can restore and strengthen their lung health. Surgery can remove damaged tissue and medications can stop infections, but no one has offered advice on how to keep lungs large and healthy for a lifetime.
Middle-aged and elderly people do three kinds of exercises to help improve lung capacity
In real life, have you ever paid attention to your breathing? The stress of life has made the breathing of middle-aged and elderly people shorter and shorter, significantly affecting physical and mental health, and even shortening life expectancy. Fortunately, we want to increase lung capacity does not need to dive to the bottom of the sea a few hundred meters, as long as regular exercise can be. Exercise can help us to promote blood circulation in the lungs and maintain or enhance lung capacity. Generally speaking, the elderly often do these 3 kinds of exercises to help us improve lung capacity.
1. Deep breathing exercise
Breathing exercises can strengthen lung strength, which is beneficial to help keep middle-aged and elderly people healthy at the time of the severe epidemic. Even in normal times, lungs that are not strong enough are likely to have the poor lung capacity, and even a small cold is more likely to worsen than the average person, not to mention the fierce new crown pneumonia. Therefore, for middle-aged and elderly people who do not have a strong respiratory tract, deep breathing exercises that can cleanse the lungs and strengthen lung function are particularly beneficial.
When doing deep breathing exercises, middle-aged and elderly people can breathe in slowly and deeply while reading the seconds in their minds according to their comfort level. When inhaling, you need to close your mouth to avoid dry mouth; then toot your lips into a small circle and slowly exhale the air, while reading the seconds. It is important to note that the exhalation time should be twice as long as the inhalation time, to help clear the small bronchial carbon dioxide. Finally, each round of exercises for at least 10 minutes, at least 3 times a day.
2. Walking
Middle-aged and elderly people walking should look forward 25m, and keep their back straight. As far as possible, land on the ground with both legs and heels. Count as 1.2.3 at the beginning and take the third step significantly. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and swing your arms back and forth. As long as the total time for a day of brisk walking is 30 minutes, you can also divide it into 10 minutes each in the morning, noon and evening.
Since it is easy to fall during brisk walking, middle-aged and older adults should pay close attention to their feet, not overdo it, and do it at a pace that will not entangle them. Stretch before and after the aerobic walk to prevent injury and fatigue. During the process of walking, make sure to keep your chest tight so that you do not fall by leaning forward. Finally, we have to choose shoes that allow us to walk easily, the soles should be soft and easy to bend, but also for their heels to provide sufficient cushioning.
3. Jogging
Jogging is most helpful for cardiorespiratory function, to prevent cardiorespiratory decline, but pay attention to jogging breathing, to abdominal breathing is the main, that is, the gas is sucked into the abdomen, when the stomach will rise, wait until the gas is exhaled, the stomach will be eliminated, feel the action of breathing in the belly, son rather than lungs. The purpose of abdominal breathing is to use the abdominal muscles to help the diaphragm movement to increase alveolar ventilation, and reduce the respiratory rate, but also to relieve the symptoms of respiratory distress caused by disease.
Of course, we want to train lung function, three days of fishing and two days of sunshine are not likely to reap results. Instead, we should do it at least 3 times a week, or even more, with a controlled time between 20 minutes and 30 minutes each time. Note that we are emphasizing jogging, so the intensity should feel a little wheezy can. Finally, when we jog, we must not run on the road, especially at night, otherwise, it is easy to have a car accident. We choose places like parks to do it as much as possible.
In conclusion, both soccer players and other free divers are not born with superb lung capacity. Instead, they made their lung capacity stronger by willpower. So for the middle-aged and elderly, to train cardio, you can’t just rely on overnight training, but should be persistent in your efforts, we can slowly make changes.