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Your lungs are one of the most important organs in your body. They enable you to breathe and get a good amount of oxygen. They also help in eliminating carbon dioxide from the blood. The oxygen will help the body become healthy and vibrant. One of the things that will signal how healthy your lungs are is the lung capacity.
What is lung capacity? This is the maximum amount of oxygen that your lungs can accommodate. It is the amount of air that you can breathe in. When you are still young, the lung capacity is usually very large. However, there are certain factors that affect it. Let us discuss some of them.
The first factor is age. The body of children functions better than the body of an adult. This is because as you age, your body ages as well and the organs are not as healthy as before. This is the same for your lungs. The older you become, the less air you can hold. This is the reason why a lot of older people breathe rapidly and try to catch their breath.
The second factor is food. That’s right! The food that you eat has an effect to lung capacity. For instance, if you consume fruits that are rich in vitamin C and E, you can improve the ability of the lungs to hold air. Vitamin C and E are important vitamins and antioxidants that clear the organs from any harmful substance. Examples of these are citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables. Now you have more reasons to eat your veggies. Foods that are high in fats, for instance, are not good because they will increase your weight – which brings us to the next item.
The third factor is weight. According to studies, people who are obese have less lung capacity. This is because a lot of energy is being used to distribute nutrients in the body. You will need more oxygen to make sure that your entire body gets the amount they need. This is the reason why when you see obese people, you can easily notice that they breathe fast especially after doing physical exercises.
The fourth factor is medical condition. If you have some respiratory problems, it could affect the capacity and the overall work of your lungs. If you think your breath becomes shorter and shorter, you should immediately consult a doctor.
There are many ways on how you can improve your capacity. However, the best known method is through breathing exercise. You should always be concerned on how you breathe. You need to take in oxygen while slowly filling up your lungs. This will help the lungs expand more. You can then exhale slowly in order not to shock the lungs. Improve your lung capacity and you will have more amount of oxygen inhaled.
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Source by Karen Wentworth
