6 simple ways to keep your lungs healthy

What, you're wondering, could you possibly do beyond quitting smoking to get your bellows in better shape? The answer: plenty.

If you want to be able to blow out all the candles on your cake when you're 75 (assuming your family dares to put on a candle for every year), not to mention climb three flights of stairs without needing oxygen, now is the time to take action.

The key question to ask: do I snore? If the answer is yes, make an appointment with your GP and ask for a referral to a sleep centre to get checked for sleep apnea.

• This condition, in which someone stops breathing dozens or even hundreds of times during the night, can actually damage the lungs nearly as much as smoking. Fortunately, it's treatable.

• The kind of exercise that makes your heart beat faster, such as climbing stairs, riding a bike or walking briskly, is very important for keeping your heart and lungs in good shape.
• For instance, studies find that walking for about 15 minutes at a time, three to four times a day, improved breathing in people with the lung disease emphysema.

• This kind of breathing, called diaphragmatic breathing, involves training and strengthening your diaphragm so that it requires less effort to take in each breath.
• To do it, inhale deeply through your nose, filling your lungs from the bottom up.
• If you're doing it right, your stomach will push out. Exhale and repeat.

• To help your chest to expand and boost your lung capacity, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Place your hands behind your head and bring your elbows together so they're nearly touching.
• As you inhale, let your elbows drop to the sides slowly so your arms are flat on the floor when your lungs are full.
• As you exhale, raise your elbows again.

• Some products, such as oven cleaner, can be toxic if inhaled.
• If the instructions say to open a window or use in a well-ventilated space, make sure you do so. And wear a face mask when working around toxic dust or fumes.
• Even simple household tasks such as sanding paint could send damaging fragments into your lungs.

• A study has revealed that carrying extra weight makes your respiratory muscles work harder and less efficiently.
• This results in shortness of breath, making it hard to exercise, which makes it hard to lose the weight.