If you want to improve your respiratory muscle function then it is important you carry out regular inspiratory muscle training. Doing this type of exercise improves your respiratory muscle function and helps you breathe easier. These type of exercises require endurance and strength and are perfect to help recovering patients as well as healthy people. Inspiratory muscle training exercises are mainly for people who suffer from respiratory conditions including asthma, bronchitis, COPD and emphysema as well as people who have symptoms that result in being short of breath. This type of exercise can help build up lung performance.

Progressive Resistive Exercises

This type of exercise helps to build up the diaphragm muscles. This is done by applying pressure to the diaphragm as it contracts fully. The best position to do these exercises is when lying down. There are different methods that can be used to create resistance - the use of weights or therapist applied pressure. To benefit from this type of exercise they need to be done over a long period of time.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing encourages you to use your diaphragm correctly when breathing. The best way to do this type of breathing exercise is to lie on a flat surface with your head supported and your knees bent. Take one hand and place it on your chest and place the other hand on your rib cage. Once you have adopted this position you need to breathe in through your nose. You will notice at this point the hand on your rib cage will rise. You then need to tighten your stomach muscles and exhale, allowing the hand on the ribs to move down.

Pursed Lip Breathing

Pursed lip breathing makes each breath more effective and also helps to improve your breathing patterns. This is a great technique when used as part of your inspiratory muscle training programme. No special position is required for this breathing exercise and it can be done sitting down or standing up. You need to be fully relaxed. Inhale slowly with your nose for two seconds, then pucker your lips and blow out through the lips for about four seconds.

By incorporating these breathing techniques into your inspiratory muscle training programme you will not only help strengthen your respiratory muscles but you will also suffer less short of breath symptoms.