Avoid Smoking- Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to the lungs and it also increases the risk of lung cancer but it also causes other diseases including COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma. Smoking makes the existing symptoms of these diseases severe. According to US NIH, smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers. Moreover, smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancer deaths. Women are at a higher risk of dying from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.
Breathe Harder While Exercising- Regular exercise can help maintain the health of your lungs. Exercise not only keeps your body in shape but also keeps your lungs in its best shape. Exercise makes the heart beat faster thus making your lungs work harder because the body needs more oxygen to fuel the muscles. Your lungs step up their functionality to deliver the required oxygen while expelling additional carbon dioxide. Research proves that exercise increases breathing from 15 times a minute to 40 to 60 times a minute. The more you exercise, the more efficient your lungs become.
Avoid Exposure to Pollutants- The air quality can be really poor at times and the pollutants in the air can damage the lungs and accelerate aging. As you age, the lungs lose some of that resistance and become more vulnerable to infections and disease thus you can avoid second-hand smoke, avoid exercise near traffic, and minimize exposure to airborne pollutants at work (construction, mining, and waste management sites) to protect your lungs from infections.
