Healthy lungs, healthy life: How to care for your lungs

Healthy lungs need a workout

The most important things that we can do to keep our lungs strong and healthy are also the things that improve our general physical and mental health: exercise and good habits. Your muscles need oxygen to function, and the lungs and heart are responsible for providing it.

During exercise, your lungs also get a workout because of your heavy breathing, and your circulatory system becomes more efficient at removing excess carbon dioxide. With regular training, healthy lungs will increase in capacity, and your breathing will become more efficient.

Prevent diseases and avoid external risks

There are positive choices you can take to protect your lungs. For instance, avoiding infection by ensuring you have the appropriate vaccinations against the flu and pneumonia, regularly washing your hands, and avoiding contact with anybody displaying symptoms.

Everybody knows that smoking is bad for lung health, as it hurts their capacity to provide oxygen and leads to mucous build-up – not to mention causing cancer. The evidence on vaping is less clear.

In addition to protecting your body from the inside, it’s also important to prevent harmful air pollution effects by avoiding environments with heavy air pollution, such as areas near dense traffic, particularly when exercising. Similarly, working in highly polluted workspaces can also be an impediment to healthy lungs, and there are many pollutants beside carbon dioxide to be aware of. Silica dust, cardboard dust and metal dust are all common in many types of workplace, and employees may be inhaling them without even realizing.