3 min readNew DelhiOct 25, 2025 02:08 PM IST
First published on: Oct 25, 2025 at 02:08 PM IST
Given the challenge posed by air pollution, we need to stimulate our lungs through exercise to improve their functioning. Your heart and lungs work harder when you’re exercising to provide the extra oxygen your muscles need. Regular exercise strengthens your heart and lungs in the same way that it does your muscles. Your body becomes more adept at delivering oxygen to the working muscles and the bloodstream as your level of physical fitness increases. Over time, this is one of the reasons you are less likely to feel shortness of breath while exercising.
The diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs, which cooperate to power inhalation and exhalation, are two other muscles that can be strengthened by certain forms of exercise. So engaging in both aerobic exercises and muscle-strengthening workouts can enhance the health of your lungs. It all starts with gentle aerobic exercises such as walking and spot jogging. Then you can take to the following routines.
Jumping Jacks: Jumping jacks, which involve softly bouncing over the ground and gently landing back down, are an excellent cardiovascular workout. An improved cardiovascular health eases overall respiratory function.
Swimming and water workouts: Swimming in an indoor pool has an impact on lung volume measurements because swimmers’ diaphragm and other respiratory muscles must expand to a greater pressure during the respiratory cycle. This can improve the function of these muscles and change the elasticity of the lung, chest wall or ventilatory muscles. Compared to runners, swimmers have better lung capacity.
Easy hacks: Climbing up the stairs helps you process oxygen better. Twisting and bending — forward, backward and sideways — and doing soft lunges with low intensity, all done with gradual breathing, make for a good lung workout.
Pilates: Pilates strengthens the diaphragm and other muscles involved in breathing, which improve both inhaling and exhaling. Routines build core strength and spinal alignment, which in turn reduce slouching and allow the lungs to expand more fully. By coordinating movement with deep breathing, Pilates exercises have been shown to improve key pulmonary parameters such as forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV).
Breathing routines: Inhale and exhale through the nose and when extremely exhausted, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth with proper recoveries in between if you are panting.
Pranayama routines like Kapalbhati and Anulom Vilom can increase lung capacity and oxygen intake. Practising these for only 5-10 minutes a day will give a burst of energy and freshness. I would also recommend double breathing, which oxygenates the blood and energizes the body. Stand comfortably with feet apart. Begin with inhaling through the nose with a short sharp inhalation followed by a long breath. Exhale twice through the mouth with a short, then long exhalation. While breathing in, stand tall with your spine erect and while exhaling, squat a little.
Yoga is best for strengthening and flexing heart and lung muscles. Practise chest opening asanas like Setu Bandhasana, Bhujangasana, Ustrasana and upward stretching Tadasana.
Make sure to combine exercise with the right diet and sleep to make sure that you get full benefits.
(Dr Mehta is a holistic health expert)
Your body becomes more adept at delivering oxygen to the working muscles and the bloodstream as your level of physical fitness increases. 
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