In addition to the heart, brain and liver, the respiratory system, including the lungs, accounts for one of the most important parts of the human body. Without properly functioning lungs, a person will struggle to find the air and energy to complete even basic physical activities.
The act of breathing involves bringing oxygen into the body, a necessary step in keeping our major organs functioning as they should. An individual who fails to receive sufficient oxygen is bound to suffer a range of significant health problems, including serious respiratory illnesses and heart disease. For that reason, it’s important to be aware of strategies that can help our lungs work as they should, thereby ensuring the rest of the body has the oxygen it needs to perform optimally.
1. Be Active
What’s more important — being thin or being active? In North America, where image is often considered all that matters, the emphasis is often on the former, even if that doesn’t mean exercising regularly. Generally speaking, someone who is thin because of genetics or a healthy diet will probably feel less pressure to be physically active.
And that’s a problem because a person who is thin and eats well but doesn’t exercise regularly will have lungs that operate far below their capacity. By failing to challenge their lungs with more intense physical activity, this individual may find themselves in a position where, should physical exercise be required, it could result in a significant health problem. For example, should they face an emergency situation that requires they engage in intense physical activity, they may not be able to perform that activity and they may sustain injury as a result.