Respiratory disease remains a serious health concern in the United States, where more than 25 million people suffer from asthma and 14.8 millions adults have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatens groups that have these conditions.

Taking care of your lungs is important today when it’s easy to give respiratory heath a pass. While all the information you need about such diseases as COPD, bronchitis, and tuberculosis is available, you will still need to apply what you know in everyday life. There are ways you can improve your respiratory health regardless of where you are. Just follow these easy tips for life with healthy lungs.

Kick the habit

We all know that smoking causes lung cancer and a wide range of other serious conditions, so any serious decisions to safeguard your respiratory health must start with quitting tobacco. It can get difficult along the way, but using safer alternatives or thinking about the money you can save by quitting cigarettes should help ease the process.

Avoid air pollution during your commute

Do you live in a highly congested city? Cities that have high volumes of traffic everyday have the worst scores in terms of air quality. The worst part about it is that you can’t avoid the smoke and fumes unless of course, you relocate to a community that is safe to breathe in. Luckily, you can avoid air pollution during your commute by simply taking a quieter route to work as suggested by this article from Time. You might as well avoid taking major roads or streets and map out alternative passages.

Know about high-risk places

Avoiding smoke is just a small part of keeping your lungs fit. You also need to be aware of chemicals that exist in the air, even when you are indoors. There are countless chemicals such as benzene, asbestos, and nitrogen dioxide that remain in workplaces, restaurants and even residences. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals will lead to such conditions as mesothelioma and asbestosis, so it’s best to know if the establishment you are in is safe. Then again, you won’t know for sure if you were exposed to VOCs and other toxic materials, so you might as well seek legal advice and get compensated.

Keep tabs on your weight

Weight gain and weight loss are both critical to the health of your lungs. Some studies suggest a correlation between respiratory health and weight gain. People who experience an increase in body mass are likely to experience a decline in lung function. On the other hand, losing weight is tied to improved lung performance. While these claims remain under scrutiny, it’s still important to regulate your wealth by doing cardio-respiratory exercises. Make a habit out of jogging and brisk walking in the early morning. Swimming is also a good activity for promoting lung and heart health and regulating weight gain, so consider taking a dip once in a while.

Eat the right kinds of food

Aside from exercise, a healthy diet is also crucial to improving the respiratory system. All you need is to look for food that specifically benefits the lungs. You may look along the lines of fiber-rich food such as peas, beans, pears, and nuts. Coffee and matcha tea are also great choices since they contain enough antioxidants to support cell regeneration. Moderating your food intake is still important as you wouldn’t want to compromise other aspects of your health.

Our lungs are very efficient, but they can easily wear down if we don’t pay them much attention. To live a fruitful life, give your lungs the care they need every day.