By: Dr. Claudia Tamas
Natural Medicine & Rehabilitation
The preoccupation with optimal human life expectancy can be traced in writings dating back thousands of years. The longevity question has complex implications for the individual, family, and society. A society that loses life expectancy or quality of life due to loss of independence in the later decades of its individuals’ existence faces great challenges both economically and culturally.
Scientific discovery of stem cells, telomerase, and a vast array of anti-aging therapies show promising applications to human biology and pathology. While we are excited for solutions to extend human life through advanced scientific discovery, we might very well be neglecting more simple, affordable solutions that are lifestyle based and readily available at our fingertips. Such lifestyle changes could not only lengthen our lives but improve their quality through greater health. The majority of the risk factors for mortality and morbidity are lifestyle driven.
Among others, lung capacity is one major factor related to longevity. Lung Capacity is the volume of your lungs, and it decreases with age, particularly in people who do not exercise. Between 30-50, we lose 12-15% of our lung capacity. By age 80, we lose 30-40%. This gradual loss can lead to difficulty performing even daily activities and to loss of independence in our later years. Those who smoke or have a chronic lung disease experience an even steeper decrease. Moreover, diminished lung capacity might antedate heart failure, as abnormalities in pulmonary diffusion capacity are associated with cardiac remodeling. A strong heart requires strong lungs!
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Interestingly, it was noted that for patients that received lung transplants, those who received lungs with larger capacities had better life expectancy. Consequently, if we want to not only prolong but optimize the quality of our lives, we need to restore the capacity of our lungs! This is a task that requires an understanding of the factors which affect lung capacity in the first place. As it turns out, most of these offenders are under our control and can be rectified by altering certain lifestyle habits and behaviors.
Slumped Posture decreases the size of our chest cavity. When we sit or stand slumped our lungs are constricted and cannot fully expand. In time, lung volume decreases as an adaptation to this posture. Furthermore, the breathing muscles become less effective, due to the mechanical stress placed on them by the anterior collapse of the rib cage. To make matters worse, the forward head shift, which is present in slumped postures, narrows our upper airway decreasing oxygen delivery to the lungs and adding to the perfusion dysfunction.
Being sedentary affects lung capacity negatively. In sedentary lifestyles, the lungs are not challenged to fully expand and work at diminished capacity due to the low physical demand imposed on them. If you don’t use it, you lose it!
Being overweight adds extra tissue to the abdomen which impairs the diaphragm’s function and exerts imbalanced forces on the musculoskeletal system, altering breathing patterns. The American Lung Association recommends an optimal body composition to support healthy lung function.
Trauma to ribs or spine such as fractures, surgeries, or musculoskeletal injuries can create asymmetries in breathing patterns and rib cage movements which influence lung excursion.
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In most people, decreased lung capacity is a result of a cumulative burden of these factors, and it becomes more noticeable and impactful as we age. Most of us don’t recognize the decline until it is eclipsing our ability to be independent. If you don’t know where to start, and you are sedentary, begin walking daily. Find a licensed musculoskeletal clinician who can recognize, evaluate, and create an effective plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate all the risk factors involved.
FREE new patient consultations to learn how to significantly impact your long-term health. Call 908-252-0242 or visit NMRnj.com/appointment-request
