Did you know that, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, almost 13% of Americans have used deep breathing exercises? Breathing right is important for overall health. Not only does breathing clear wastes from our body in the form of CO2 and help us take in oxygen, but breathing right helps keep our bodies regulated. Here are three tips for breathing better.

1. Treat them Right

Your lungs are made up of millions of tiny alveoli that help increase the surface area of your lung, allowing for fast oxygen absorption. In fact, the surface area of your lungs are equal to the size of a tennis court. Smoking damages alveoli, which is why any type of activity which harms the lungs should be quit. Once too many alveoli are ruined, individuals often have emphysema, which is basically an extreme and constant shortness of breath.

2. Alternative Asthma Treatment

There are several breathing exercises that can actually help asthma related issues, though of course nothing is substitute for the care and recommendation of a doctor. Hyperventilation reduction techniques like the Buteyko method, which encourages shallow, slow breathing, has been shown in some research to achieve medium improvements in asthma symptoms. The Buteyko method in particular emphasizes nasal breathing as a way to regulate air intake.

3. Deep Breathing

Need a breathing exerciser? This is a good way to reduce tension as well as train ourselves to breathe in more deeply. Place your left hand on your belly, and your right hand on your chest. Breathe in so that your left hand moves, but not your right. This is known as belly breathing. Switch it up and breathe so that first your belly, then your chest hand moves. This means you are filling both your upper and lower lungs with air, which will increase oxygen absorption.

Have any breathing exerciser tips for better breathing? Let us know in the comments! Research more here.