Pursed-Lips Breathing
•
• Helps you relax
• Reduces shortness of breath
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Helps you get more oxygen into
your lungs
This technique teaches you how to
extend the time you exhale. This
allows you to eliminate more carbon
dioxide from your body. That makes
more room for inhaled oxygen.
Pursed-lips breathing is easy to do. It
only takes a little practice to master.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
(Abdominal Breathing)
With COPD, trapped air in damaged
air sacs often causes the lungs to
over-expand. This breathing technique
can help reduce shortness of breath.
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INHALE, COUNT TO 2 PUCKER, EXHALE
STEP 1: Relax your neck and shoulder
muscles. Breathe in slowly through your
nose while counting to 2. STEP 2:
Pucker your lips as if you were about to
whistle. Breathe out slowly and gently
through your lips while counting to 4 or
more. Always exhale for longer than you
inhale. This allows your lungs to empty
more effectively.
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3
RELAX
STEP 1: Get into a comfortable
position. Relax your neck and shoulders.
2
INHALE SLOWLY
STEP 3: Breathe in slowly through
your nose to the count of 2. Feel your
stomach push out. Your chest should
stay still.
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HANDS ON BODY
STEP 2: Put one hand on your abdomen
(stomach). Put one hand on your chest.
TIGHTEN STOMACH, EXHALE
STEP 4: Tighten your stomach muscles.
Breathe out while you count to 4. Feel
your stomach muscles tighten. Your
chest should stay still.
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