Love Your Lungs Week 2024

Love your lungs week is celebrated from the 21st - 27th June and is used to raise awareness about the health of our lungs and what can be done to keep them as healthy as possible.

Our lungs, just like other parts of our body, age with time. By embracing healthy habits and keeping an eye on your health, we can better maintain the strength and flexibility of our lungs, and keep them working better for longer.

This years awareness campaign has a top tip for each day to improve lung capacity and overall lung health:

• Stop smoking - Smoking damages the lungs and affects your lung capacity

• Breathing exercises - Try breathing in and holding your breath for 10 seconds before exhaling to help keep lungs healthy

• Get Active - Exercising regularly can increase your lung capacity

• Improve your posture - Sitting up straight allows you to get the best lung capacity you can

• Look after yourself - Check for signs of any problems with your lungs, or breathing, See a GP with any ongoing issues

• Improve your diet - Eating a good diet is beneficial for improved lung function

• Sing! - Singing can, apparently, aid lung capacity!

1 in 5 people in the UK will live with a lung condition in their lives, and lung conditions are the UK’s third biggest killer. This campaign aims to raise awareness about respiratory conditions, promote healthy lung habits, and support those affected by lung-related illnesses. Many things can affect our lung health from air pollution, diet, lifestyle, work and more. It is important to see a GP if you've had a persistent cough for more than 3 weeks. It's also important to monitor your breathing. Feeling short of breath from time to time is healthy and normal – but sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious.