We all love the festival of lights for sure, without a doubt, but what irks us more than anything is the fact that people mistake the festival of lights to be the festival of crackers. As a result of this, by the time Diwali has bid us adieu, so has, to an extent our health!
Noticing a thick cloud of smog on the day post the Diwali celebrations have become another habit of ours, but it is not something that should be taken lightly. Taking the necessary precautions can go a long way in ensuring that you are at the top of your health game, even when surrounded by the after-effects of pollution.
1. Start with deep breaths, inhale and exhale deeply. This will not only help purify your lungs but will also brilliantly help open up your nostrils. As a result of this, you have lesser chances of falling ill with issues like throat problems, migraines, headaches. And if that wasn’t enough, this also helps improve your digestive system tremendously.
2. Anulom-Vilom or Pranayam:
A versatile breathing exercise, you can easily also use this as a warm-up prior to doing any kind of deep breathing exercise. Done to improve the lung capacity, their performance and to clear the airway in order to bring in more oxygen, Anulom-Vilom also helps reduce stress to a great extent.
• First, close your eyes and sit cross-legged with your hands on your knees
• Continue by closing the right nostril with your right thumb and inhaling slowly through the left nostril.
• Now, remove your right thumb from the right nostril and while removing the thumb exhale through the right nostril
• Now, close the left nostril with your right middle finger and inhale through the right nostril.
• Repeat the same process with the right thumb on the right nostril atleast 5 times
• Remember to concentrate on your breathing
3. Rib-Stretching:
This is another easy exercise that anyone can do without any issues. This basically works by letting you hold as much as air you can in your lungs for as long as it is safely possible for you. As a result of this, your lung function and capacity improves brilliantly.
• Start by standing upright with your back arched
• Now slowly, exhale all the oxygen in your lungs
• Once you have emptied your lungs of air, breathe in slowly to fill your lungs with as much as air as you can.
• Now try holding your breath for atleast 10 seconds.
• Once you are over with your 10 seconds, exhale slowly.
