Breathing Techniques & Other Exercises for Those with COPD

Because no two cases of COPD are exactly the same, individuals who endure the disease face a variety of different symptoms and benefit from a variety of different treatments.

Medication can help. Therapy can help. General efforts to maintain physical health can help. And for a great many COPD patients, breathing techniques can help. Fatigue and shortness of breath are common among those who have the disease, and COPD breathing exercises strengthen the muscles – so if you have it, diligent exercises mean breathing in general requires less exertion.

Breathing Exercises

Medical experts consistently recommend four different types of breathing techniques to keep your airways in good shape.

Pursed Lip Breathing

One of the most commonly recommended techniques, pursed lip breathing is intended to release air trapped in the lungs and reduce shortness of breath by making it easier to breathe. It should be practiced four or five times a day, and is best used during the most difficult part of a daily activity such as climbing stairs. It works like this:

1. Relax your shoulder and neck muscles.
2. Take a breath in through your nose – your mouth should be closed – and count to two. Repeating the phrase “inhale, one, two” in your head may help.
3. Purse your lips, as though to whistle or blow on food that’s too hot.
4. Count to four while breathing slowly out through your mouth. As with step 2, it may be worthwhile to repeat a phrase: “exhale, one, two, three, four.”

If you’re unable to inhale or exhale as long as suggested, a good general rule is to breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in.

Coordinated Breathing

Suggested for physical exercise, coordinated breathing may also be helpful for brief relief of stress or anxiety:

1. Before beginning an exercise, breathe in through your nose.
2. Exhale through pursed lips during the most strenuous part of the exercise.
3. Repeat as needed.

Deep Breathing

This technique is best practiced in conjunction with other daily breathing exercises. It’s designed to reduce shortness of breath by keeping air from getting trapped in the lungs:

1. Expand your chest by sitting or standing with your elbows slightly back.
2. Breathe in deeply through your nose and count to five.
3. Slowly exhale through your nose until you feel you’ve breathed out all the air you just breathed in. Some recommend a forceful cough at the end.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, is meant to relieve pressure on some of the muscles used more for breathing by those with COPD. Individuals with the disease often feel pressure on their lungs due to trapped air, and tend to use their back, neck and shoulder muscles for breathing. The goal is to retrain the body to rely on the diaphragm. The exercise can be repeated as necessary, though it’s more of an advanced technique than the above, so it shouldn’t be the first one you try:

1. Lie or sit down with your knees bent – you can put a pillow under them, if that helps – and relax your shoulders.
2. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. If you prefer, you can also place a light object such as a tissue box on your stomach instead.
3. Inhale through your nose for two or three seconds. If you feel your stomach moving more than your chest, you’re doing it right.
4. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, for five or six seconds, while you tighten your stomach muscles or push down lightly on your stomach.

Mucus-Clearing Techniques

Buildup of mucus is one of the most consistent symptoms experienced by those with COPD. Not only does excess mucus often lead to chronic coughing and shortness of breath, it can even increase your risk of infection. That’s why medical professionals have developed techniques to comfortably clear the lungs.

Controlled Coughing

Controlled coughing is coughing from deep within the lungs, and the technique is designed to save oxygen, loosen mucus and then carry it comfortably through the airways – as opposed to frequent, uncontrolled coughing, which may cause airways to collapse and make breathing very difficult. The technique entails:

1. Lean slightly forward in a chair with both feet on the floor and arms folded across your stomach.
2. Inhale slowly through the nose.
3. Lean forward and breathe out while pressing your arms into your abdomen.
4. Deliver two or three short, sharp coughs with your mouth slightly open.
5. Spit out the mucus and slowly inhale through the nose again.

Huff Coughing

The point of this technique is to effectively cough up the mucus that accumulates in your lungs, so the process doesn’t result in fatigue:

1. While seated, inhale through your mouth slightly more than you would for a normal breath.
2. Blow the air out in three breaths using your stomach muscles. It may help to make the sounds “ha, ha, ha,” as though you’re trying to fog a mirror.

Postural Drainage

As opposed to coughing techniques, postural drainage is designed to drain the lungs of mucus through proper positioning. Different positions can drain mucus from the front, back or sides of the lungs. The technique is best practiced on an empty stomach, holding each position for five minutes.

1. Lie in the proper position for the part of the lungs you want to drain – your back for front draining, your front for back drainage and your side for side drainage – with one pillow under your head and two or three under your hips. Place your arms by your head if lying on your stomach.
2. Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
3. Breathe in while pushing your stomach outward.

What Else Can You Do for Your Breathing Ability?

Of course, there’s more you can do on a daily basis to improve your lung function. Whether it’s regular physical exercise, good nutrition, or efforts to improve balance and focus, there are plenty of ways you or others with COPD can work to breathe easier. Some of the options include:

• Aerobic exercise, such as walking or riding a stationary bike, to strengthen the heart and lungs
• Strengthening exercises, the practice of tightening the upper-body muscles until they tire to strengthen breathing muscles
• Stretching exercises, which lengthen muscles and improve flexibility
• Eating a healthy diet to maintain energy and keep your immune system strong
• Practicing yoga or tai chi, which can improve balance and exercise ability

Exercise Caveats

It’s always wise to consult a doctor before embarking on a new exercise regimen with COPD. You would do well to avoid activities that might put excessive strain on you, including heavy lifting, isometric exercises, climbing steep hills and exercising outdoors in very hot or cold weather. And be sure to stop if you experience dizziness, irregular heartbeat, nausea, pain, rapid heartbeat, severe shortness of breath or weakness.

Get Help from a Pro

If you suffer from COPD and are worried about ending up in the hospital, we at ViaQuest may be able to help. ViaQuest Hospice offers all the health care COPD patients might expect from the hospital right in the comfort of your own home. And because we accept Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurances, it’s highly likely to be entirely cost-covered.