Clearing your lungs before running will help make your run more efficient and comfortable. The lungs carry oxygen throughout the body; When the lungs are irritated or contain mucus, the oxygen deprived condition will reach other parts of the muscles in the body. You may be able to clear your lungs with breathing exercises, vitamins and nutrition, or with medication.
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Method 1 of 3: Clearing the Lungs with Breathing Exercises
Step 1. Perform controlled breathing exercises
Controlled breathing, as the name suggests, is when you deepen your breath to clear any phlegm that may be in your lungs. To perform controlled breathing:
- Take two or three deep breaths. Try to inhale as much air as possible, then exhale as much as possible. Taking deep breaths will help place the air behind the phlegm so you can expel it later as saliva.
- Take four or five regular breaths, then two or three more deep breaths. Repeat this step one more time, taking regular and deep breaths alternately.
- After the last breath, start making exhaling movements, as if you were trying to clear your lungs (which is true).
- Take two or three regular breaths, then try to expel the remaining phlegm by coughing.
- Repeat the entire procedure as needed or until you feel your lungs are clear.
Step 2. Use a controlled cough technique
Coughing is the body's natural way of expelling secretions from the lungs. You can do this cough technique easily once you start running. To do a controlled cough:
- Find a chair or bench you can sit on. Sit leaning forward with your arms placed across your stomach. Sitting leaning forward will increase the expansion of the lungs to the maximum.
- Take another deep breath and hold it for three seconds. As you inhale, you will feel with your arms that your belly is getting bigger.
- Open your mouth slightly and make a short, sharp cough. As you do this, apply pressure to your diaphragm by pushing your stomach with your arms in an upward motion.
- Inhale through your nose in a gentle, slow motion. Inhaling like this will help prevent secretions from re-entering your lungs.
- Remove secretions in the form of saliva.
Step 3. Have someone pat you on the back vigorously
When you pat your back, it can help loosen the phlegm in your lungs. Ask someone to do the following actions:
- Ask him to place his hands in a bowl. Ask him to pat you on the back with both hands forming a bowl. Start at the center of your back, then work your way up.
- This movement can help loosen phlegm and expel it through the mouth.
Method 2 of 3: Cleaning the Lungs with Kitchen Ingredients
Step 1. Use peppermint to clear your lungs before going for a run
Rub peppermint oil or steam on the chest to help loosen the phlegm in the lungs. Peppermint works effectively against phlegm because it contains menthol, which acts as a decongestant. Peppermint is also considered a ketone, which helps dissolve mucus.
You can also drink peppermint tea, or inhale the steam from the peppermint oil-infused water
Step 2. Drink plenty of water before and after running
Feed your body water to thin out phlegm or secretions. Water can also help reduce the stickiness of secretions in the lungs, making them easier to cough up.
- Try to drink water frequently throughout the day. The amount of water needed by each person so that the body does not lack fluids is different for each person. However, the average adult male generally needs as much as 3 liters of water, while the average adult woman generally needs as much as 2.2 liters of water.
- Drink very cold water if you have a dry cough (a cough that doesn't contain phlegm to expel). Cold water can help relieve a cough. When you have a dry cough, coughing can irritate your throat instead of helping clear your lungs.
Step 3. Increase your vitamin C intake
Vitamin C is known to prevent lung spasms associated with coughing and can help improve lung function. Lemons are a great source of vitamin C. Add lime juice to the water you drink.
Other foods that contain vitamin C are peppers, guavas, dark leafy vegetables, kiwi, broccoli, berries, oranges, tomatoes, peas, and papaya
Step 4. Take vitamin A
One of the functions of vitamin A is to help repair and reshape the internal mucous membranes, which in turn can help strengthen the lungs. Carrot juice is also rich in beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A in your body.
Other foods rich in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, dark leafy vegetables, squash, lettuce, dried apricots, cantaloupe, bell peppers, tuna, oysters, and mangoes
Method 3 of 3: Clearing the Lungs with Medicine
Step 1. Take an expectorant to clear the lungs
This type of medication will help loosen blockages in the lungs, chest, and throat. This will help make it easier to get rid of the secretions in your lungs.
- The most common expectorant generic drug is guaifenesin. You can take this medication as part of your run preparation.
- The dose for an immediate-release formulation is 200 to 400 mg by mouth every four hours, or as much as needed. If you choose a sustained-release formulation, take 600 to 1200 mg by mouth every 12 hours.
Step 2. Try an acetylcysteine (mucus busting) medication
This is another type of medicine that will help flush out the secretions that have built up in your lungs. The main function of this drug is to thin out mucus secretions so that your body can get rid of it more easily. However, this medication can be difficult to carry while running, as you will need a nebulizer (or inhaler) to take the medication.
Use a nebulizer to inhale 5 to 10 ml of acetylcysteine every four to six hours
Step 3. If you have asthma, talk to your doctor about albuterol
Albuterol is taken by inhalation to help increase airflow into the lungs. If you have asthma or exercise-induced asthma, which is triggered by strenuous exercise, your doctor may prescribe an inhaler. Make sure you always carry this medicine with you, especially if you will be running or doing other sports.
Albuterol relaxes the muscles in the airways, which become blocked during an asthma attack, and allows air to flow into the lungs as usual
Step 4. Know when you need to call your doctor
If you have persistent blockages in your lungs, which affect your ability to run or carry out other activities in your daily life, call your doctor. Other situations in which you may need to seek medical attention include:
- If you have coughing up blood. This can be a symptom of internal bleeding in the respiratory tract. If the blood is bright red, there may be a problem with your upper respiratory tract, while brown, coffee-colored blood means that there has been damage to your lower respiratory tract.
- If you sweat at night or have a cough with fever for a week. This can be a symptom of tuberculosis and other serious medical conditions.
- If you have had a cough for more than six months. This can be a symptom of chronic bronchitis.
