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How to Improve COPD with Breathing Exercise

Accessible lung capacity graph improvement
April 5, 2023

While the Airofit breathing trainer might assist with respiratory issues, Airofit is not a medical device nor made for treating illness.

“At one point I was hospitalized for 14 days and needed pure oxygen due to the fact that my lungs no longer were working. I was horrified.

To train my lungs and seeing and feeling the effect this has had on me, has given me a new sense of hope that this awful disease previously had deprived me of.”

This article highlights how Airofit‘s breathing training can extend its positive impact beyond the realm of sports. While professional athletes can enhance their sport performance by increasing their vital capacity through breathing training, individuals with lung diseases can also experience life-changing improvements and invaluable results. The following story showcases the journey of one Airofit user who has successfully improved their COPD symptoms through regular breathing exercises.

THE PROFILE:

Name: PK (anonymized)
Age: 71
Occupation: Bookkeeper (retired)
Tobacco Use: 3-5 cigarettes a day
Diagnosis: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

PK retired from bookkeeping in 2010 and was diagnosed with COPD five years later. The illness rapidly restricted her daily physical activities. By 2019, she could only walk for 10 minutes, couldn’t vacuum for even 5 minutes, and found gardening unbearable due to breathlessness. Her retirement, meant to be golden, became a state of disability.

In the same year, PK and her husband discovered Airofit through a physiotherapist’s recommendation on Danish National TV. Eager to explore alternative solutions to PK’s medications, her husband encouraged her to try Airofit PRO. After using it consistently for one year, PK experienced remarkable results that significantly improved her breathing.

The Breathing training

PK, like many other users, tailored her breathing training plan with Airofit to address her COPD and improve her condition. Beginning with two daily sessions at the “beginner” level for one minute each, she gradually progressed. As she felt more capable, PK extended her routine to 15 minutes per day, both in the morning and evening. PK’s commitment to her customized breathing training plan allowed her to make significant improvements in managing her COPD. Below you will see which Airofit training sessions she has been using and the number of minutes she has done.

copd breathing training

PK’s preferred session is Elevation, and she has accumulated a total of 5,459 minutes of training in the past 12 months. Rather than pushing herself physically, PK prioritized consistent training, treating it as a habitual practice. Her commitment to training has made her the most active user of Airofit PRO as of October 2020.

The results of the breathing exercise

Accessible Vital Lung Capacity (AVLC)

At Airofit, we emphasize the measurement of lung function on a daily basis. Vital lung capacity is a key metric that reflects the maximum volume of air a person’s lungs can inhale or exhale in one breath. For accurate results, it is advised to conduct lung tests at the same time every day and before consuming major meals. Consistency in performing lung tests is crucial to ensure reliable data.

The graph below shows PK’s change in calculated vital lung capacity over the past 52 weeks.

vital lung capacity

The results displayed above speak for itself. From the start, P.K. had on average 1.67 liters of air accessible in her lungs and today she has increased that to 2.64 liters.

This means she has increased her vital lung capacity by a stunning 58%.

Inhale strength

Numerous studies are showing that one can increase their physical performance by training their inspiratory muscles, for example on
professional athletes. Though PK is not one, she still has the same benefits. Inhale strength shows the maximum inspiratory pressure and is measured in centimeters of water (a standard unit of pressure).

The graph below shows P.K.’s progression in her inspiratory muscle strength:

inspiratory strength graph improvement

Inspiratory strength measurements in Airofit PRO were introduced at the beginning of 2020 which explains why the graph only shows data over the past 30 weeks. Nonetheless, PK’s inspiratory strength has increased by 17%.

Exhale strength

Unlike most other respiratory devices, the Airofit system also measures the expiratory strength. The lung test results on the expiratory strength show the maximal expiratory pressure one can release from the lungs, which is measured in centimeters of water (a standard unit of pressure).

The graph below shows PK’s expiratory strength changes:

Exhale strength graph improvement copd

It is shown that PK has increased her expiratory strength by 56% over the past 30 weeks.

Conclusion

This article highlights how non-athletic breathing training with Airofit can bring life-changing improvements. Over a year, the user experienced increased vital lung capacity and improved muscle strength for COPD. Beyond the numbers, PK’s daily life has significantly improved. As of October 2020, she can walk for 30 minutes and vacuum clean for an hour. PK herself describes the transformative impact of training with Airofit as follows:

”At one point I was hospitalized for 14 days and was in need of pure oxygen due to the fact that my lungs no longer were working. I was horrified.

When I was discharged from the hospital I was given two types of inhalation medicines. I still use these today but I haven’t increased the dose and in fact, I strongly believe that because I physically am in a completely different place than I was before, I feel confident that I should be able to lay off the medicine.

I wanted to do my part in avoiding COPD becoming even worse, and simultaneously I did not want to be totally dependent on the medicine. My quality of life has improved as I now am able to take an active part in my grandchildren’s lives and hopefully I will be able to continue to do so for many years to come.

To train my lungs and see and feel the effect this has done for me, has given me a new sense of hope that this awful disease previously had deprived me of. Therefore I can strongly recommend others to purchase an Airofit and stay fit!”

The data from PK is just a small example out of the many thousands of others who have used Airofit consistently over a longer period of time. This has proven to us that we can all achieve big and that it is never too late to make improvements in our lives. 

#StayABreathAhead