How to catch a breath with the COPD Foundation’s breathing technique
The US-american COPD Foundation recommends a breathing technique at which you exhale two to three times longer than you inhale. This guide will teach you the basics and show you how to customize the technique to your needs.
Disclaimer: Breath Ball is not a medical device, and this guide is not a therapy! Both Breath Ball and this guide are provided for entertainment purpose only! Consult with a medical professional before using Breath Ball and/or this breathing technique.
If a breathing exercise has an unpleasant effect, stop the exercise immediately and seek the advice of a physician or therapist.
You are using Breath Ball and this tutorial at your sole responsibility.
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How to do the COPD Foundation’s breathing exercise:
Launch Breath Ball and start the COPD Breathing exercise. You should see something similar to the animation blow:
Now breathe in the rhythm of the ball:
- Inhale through your nose into your belly for two seconds.
- Exhale through your mouth for six seconds.
- Please Note:
- Belly breathing is the most ergonomic way to breathe. Try to breathe deeply into your belly when inhaling.
- Purse your lips while exhaling. I.e. shape your lips like you’re kissing. This reduces the airflow and increases the pressure in your lungs. The increased pressure in your lungs supports the gas exchange, which improves you lung’s function.
Individual adjustment necessary
The predefined COPD breathing exercise uses a two seconds inhale and six seconds exhale breathing rhythm. However, this may not be suitable depending on your age, daily mood, and personal breathing rhythm. Therefore it is recommended to adjust the COPD breathing technique to your personal breathing habits. If you do so, please consider the following:
- Breathe in at your usual rhythm. Note: Most adults inhale on average between two and three seconds.
- Exhale between two and three times longer as you inhale.
A little longer is better than a little shorter, but more important is that the breathing exercise feels good and is easy to perform. - The COPD breathing exercise can be combined with slow paced breathing, a technique, that slows the respiration rate down to six breaths per minute, which causes a deep relaxation and inner peace.
For more information about the benefits of slow paced breathing, follow this link. However, do this only if your physician advises you to do so.
You can adjust the COPD breathing technique to your personal needs by creating a new breathing exercise with your preferred settings. For more information on how to do this, please refer to the tutorial “Adding your own breathing exercises“.
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