Tips to boost your respiratory health.

Here are a few tips to keep your lungs healthy...

Let’s talk COVID.

This entire week will be dedicated to topics related to the new big ‘C’.

The first big step you can take is to temporarily get off the news channels. While I am in no way undermining the current situation in the world, news channels and media conveniently forget to show the positive side.

As of today, 16.6 M people across India have recovered from CoVID.

The medical fraternity is standing stronger than ever and relentlessly working towards helping people recover fast.

Given that your respiratory health is extremely crucial when it comes to dealing with CoVID, here are three steps you can take right now to take care of your respiratory health.

NOTE: This is for people who DO NOT have CoVID. If you are still recovering, you might want to work with your physician towards gradually incorporating these.

1. The 1- mile rule: Running a mile every day should come to you like brushing your teeth. If you already exercise, then run the mile as a warm-up or cool down. If you don’t, then wake up every morning and run.
   
   Now if and when possible, you want to run outdoors. But if you stay in an industrial area or a polluted area, it is better to run indoors. Inhaling toxic fumes and pollution might make your respiratory health worse. Do not give yourself an excuse though, wake up extra early when the air is clear and run!
   
   I mean running and not walking. It should take you no longer than 10 minutes to finish the mile. Your speed might be slow if you are just starting off, but eventually, challenge yourself to build up pace.

2. Time for breathing: Dedicate a 15-minute time slot every day to work on your respiratory health, just like you would do for your physical health. You could try Pranayam, the Wim- Hoff method, Qigong or simply deep inhalations and exhalations. Or try a new method every month to keep things exciting!
   
   While it does help to have a breathing coach guide you, there is really no special training required. Youtube is an ocean of knowledge. Just find videos from reliable sources.

3. Eat anti-oxidant-rich food: Did you know that many health bodies claim that the pollution inside our homes could be worse than outdoor pollution? Second-hand smoking, chemical cleaning supplies, air freshness, dust, and mold are all causes of failing lung health.
   
   While your body is brilliant at fighting most of these off, anti-oxidants consumed through food do play a role in preventing lung damage. Make sure to include 4-6 servings of fresh fruits (not juices) every day. They help fight free radicles and prevent long-term damage to multiple organs.

I will be giving tips with regard to CoVID all of this week. Please forward these to friends and family members who need to read them.

DISCLAIMER: Though these are generic tips for everyone to follow. It is best to work with your primary care physician at all times.

Loving you always,

Roshni Sanghvi.