Lungs are the powerhouse of the body. It supplies oxygen and removes CO₂and toxins from your body. People think about their lungs only when they feel difficulty while breathing or face respiratory issues. Lungs work incessantly throughout the day to keep you alive and fully functional. Just like you take care of your essentials, you need to do the same for your lung health, too. 

Here’s an example. Say, you have a bike that you have been using for 5 years. Amid your commute to work, your bike’s engine failed and stopped working out of the blue. The powerhouse (engine = lungs) failed to work as usual. This analogy is to help you understand that respiratory fitness, as in lung health, is as important as the bike’s engine health. 

To strengthen respiratory muscles, you don’t need high-end equipment or any special devices. You don’t need hours of strenuous training to upgrade your lung health. All you have to do is incorporate cardio into your daily routine. With a few healthier everyday lifestyle habits, you can experience a noticeable boost in your lung function. 

Regardless of your age, this how-to guide shows you how to get started on your respiratory fitness journey. 

What is Lung Capacity?

In simple words, it refers to the total amount of air in the lungs after maximum inhalation. There are four key volumes of lung capacity, namely, Tidal Volume (TV), Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV), Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV), and Residual Volume (RV). All these volumes together give you the total lung volume (TLV) or total lung capacity (TLC). 

According to the American Lung Association’s State of Air Report 2025, 46% of Americans, i.e., 156.1 million people, live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. Having exposure to a toxic environment results in severe lung issues. When ozone and pollution particles enter the lung space, they irritate the airways, causing cough, shortness of breath, etc. People suffering from conditions like Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis, COPD, and Fibrosis face recurrent respiratory attacks and worsen their symptoms if they are exposed to ozone and surging particle pollution. 

To check your lung health, visit a trusted respiratory clinic and get a Pulmonary Function Test done. It’s always good to get a PFT annually, especially for employees in high-risk jobs such as firefighters, HAZMAT workers, industrial and factory workers, oil and gas workers, professional drivers, military personnel, athletes, chemical plant workers, aviation personnel, and healthcare workers.

How To Maximise Lung Capacity?

As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day; the same goes for maximising lung capacity. Lungs can be built naturally by following a proper diet, doing regular exercises, including breathing, aerobic, and physical activities, & incorporating healthy lifestyle habits. Below are listed exercises that enhance your lung health.

Exercises To Improve Lung Capacity

If you are experiencing a persistent cough, wheezing, or any other respiratory infection, then it’s a sign of weak lungs. Get started with your respiratory fitness journey with these lung health activities.  

1. Deep Breathing Exercises: If you are mentally strained, physically stressed, or nervous, sit calmly and do deep breathing for two minutes; you’ll feel cheery and merry again. The best part of deep breathing is that it also strengthens the respiratory muscles, increases oxygen intake, & reduces blood pressure. Types of deep breathing exercises include diaphragmatic breathing, pursed-lip breathing, and box breathing. 

• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Inhale slowly through your nose. Your belly rises as the air goes deep into your lungs. Then,  breathe out slowly through your lips and let your belly relax and fall. Do this for 5-10 minutes every day for better results.

• Pursed-Lip Breathing: Simply breathe in with your nose and breathe out with your pursed lips. Do this for 5-10 minutes every day for better results.

• Box Breathing: Breathe in gently with your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out slowly with your mouth for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds. 

2. Cardiovascular Exercises: Also known as “cardio”, the name speaks for itself. These are aerobic exercises that boost the breathing rate and heart health. Cardio activities include brisk walking, cycling, running, jogging, rowing, stair climbing, jumping jacks, side hops, swimming, squat jumps, etc.

3. Strength Exercises: The respiratory system includes lungs, diaphragm, intercostals, core, and upper-back muscles. Lung health can only be improved if all other related muscles function properly. Inhaling and exhaling become effortless if your respiratory muscles are strong. Strength training exercises not only improve overall lung health but also manage stress and anxiety, develop proper posture, etc. 

Best strength activities & exercises include dumbbell pullovers, plank, rib cage expansion breathing, etc. To train the rib cage & intercostal muscles, you can go for resistance breathing exercises like sniffles, coughing, belly breathing, etc. Initially, practice for 10 minutes 3-4 times daily, and eventually increase the count. However, it’s highly recommended to consult a respirologist before commencing the above exercises.

Conclusion

Your lungs are the engines that keep your life going. The healthier your lungs, the better your life will be. Irrespective of your age, keep your lungs healthy by making proper lifestyle changes and engaging in regular physical activities such as running, skipping, cycling, and climbing. You don’t need any equipment to do it. You can do these exercises at home. If you want to extend your respiratory fitness workout, you can also add yoga and pilates. A good diet & regular exercise can do wonders for your body that even medicines can’t deliver.

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