The Best Yoga Poses for Asthma Relief
Living with chronic lung illness can be difficult. You may feel overwhelmed and need help to get control of your asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, or other lung condition. Yoga breathing exercises can be an effective tool for gaining control of your asthma when you understand and apply them correctly.
Benefits of Yoga Breathing Exercises for Asthmatics
Remember, there is no cure for asthma. Yoga cannot make your asthma go away completely. But yoga can offer many benefits, such as helping you breathe better. Here are six ways yoga can help with your asthma.
1. Get in Touch With Your Body More.
Yoga is a technique for connecting your mind and body. When you are more connected, you can understand what is happening with your body. It includes attacks and flare-ups. You can also see what makes them better or worse.
2. Improve Breath Control.
Yoga can help improve your breath control. It is essential for managing your asthma. Focusing on each movement in your respiratory system allows you to breathe more evenly.
3. Practice Calmness and Peace of Mind.
If you have severe asthma, it is essential to stay calm. It is easy to panic when you can’t breathe. Yoga can help you relax your thoughts and remain calm in frightening situations.
4. Slow Your Respiratory Rate.
It would help to breathe slowly, evenly, and deeply when doing yoga exercises. It will help to slow your respiratory rate (how quickly you breathe) and help you take in more oxygen. Deep breathing can help reduce flare-ups and give you some control during an attack.
5. Soothe Anxiety and Reduce Overall Stress.
Many people’s asthma is triggered by anxiety. Practicing yoga can help reduce stress, and this, in turn, will help to prevent asthma attacks.
6. Gain Control Over Muscles.
Yoga strengthens your muscles. It includes the muscles you use to breathe. Strengthening these muscles will help you control your breathing.
Yoga Exercises for Asthmatics
You may be apprehensive to begin if you do not routinely practice yoga. But you don’t have to spend hours each morning striking hundreds of yoga poses to see good results. Yoga only takes a few minutes and one or two positions to aid with asthma.
Savasana
The savasana stance is ideal for resting muscles and experiencing each body part. Relax your jaw, hands, and feet by lying on your back with your arms at your sides. Begin by breathing slowly and deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to relax a new muscle with each inhalation. Feel the muscles physically relax more and more with each breath. Continue for 5-10 minutes.
Forward and Side Bend
There are a few ways to promote calmer, deeper breathing. One way is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend forward at the waist. It will cause your chest to open up, and you can breathe more steadily. Another way is to do a side bend by spreading your legs wider and bending at your waist to one side. Lift your top hand toward the ceiling, palm up.
Twist
Sit down and cross your legs to increase calmness and help your respiratory muscles. Place one hand on the opposite knee, then twist to that side while using your other hand for support against the floor.
Cobra
The cobra pose stretches the muscles in your chest and neck. It helps to increase airflow and can also help with muscle control. Lie down on your front side, with the tops of your feet and your hips flush with the ground. Place your palms against the floor, lift your torso, and arch your back to resemble a cobra ready to strike. Lean your head back to stretch the muscles in your neck.
Camel
To practice the camel pose, you must kneel on the ground with your legs shoulder-width apart. Once in position, you can relax and bend backward at the waist, placing your hands on your feet. Focus on feeling your lungs and chest open up, letting your airflow unrestricted.
Deep Lunges
Another simple yoga technique is to hold deep lunges while you breathe slowly and steadily. Remain calm and relaxed during each lunge.
Read more: Yoga for Everyone: A Beginner’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga For Asthma
Bhastrika pranayama is done with Kapal Bhati to cleanse the airways in your body. It involves breathing deeply and exhaling forcefully, which will help build strength in your lungs and increase your stamina.
Over time, yoga can help increase lung capacity and control your breathing better. Yoga also helps reduce stress. People with asthma sometimes find that stress can affect their breathing patterns and trigger asthma symptoms. But practicing yoga can help you relax and prevent these problems.
Regular aerobic exercises, such as jogging, have been demonstrated to improve oxygen uptake in the lungs and heart and lung health. A 2020 review also found that these exercises can help reduce asthma symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Certain yogasanas involving deep breathing help you control your breath, correct lousy breathing habits, and enhance your oxygen consumption.
