Workout and Lungs

[emattson]

While working out with the basic exercise class in the regularly scheduled Mattson On-line Academy of Uechi-Ryu karate, the instructors regularly commented that we shouldn't be winded during the exercises; we should be able to talk. I did did some research and found many factors can cause breathlessness during exertions.

Tobacco will cause major trouble. Quit immediately. I know people who died from smoking. Michael Collins' book "Carrying the Fire", chapter 6, commented that three months after he quit his two pack of cigarettes per day habit he noticed, to his amazement, that his endurance had improved by 20 percent. He didn't change his weight, exercise habits, nor anything else. After that, he decided to increase his exercise program, try as hard as he could to improve his strength. On his next year's checkup, he was healthier, but the improvement was not as great as the year he quit smoking. Chlorine in a swimming pool, air pollution or cold dry air during winter can irritate the lungs during heavy exercises. I didn't walk that much when Boston was hazed with smoke from Canada's forest fires.

Regular exercise increase the muscle's strength, making them more efficient in using oxygen. Lungs and heart grow stronger, better able to feed the muscles during exercise. Aerobic exercise that makes you breath harder may increase your lung capacity.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818249/
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseas ... ung-health
https://www.livestrong.com/article/4801 ... -capacity/

[emattson]

"In 1993, Fieselmann and colleagues reported that a respiratory rate higher than 27 breaths/minute was the most important predictor of cardiac arrest in hospital wards."

- Respiratory rate: the neglected vital sign; Michelle A Cretikos, Rinaldo Bellomo, Ken Hillman, Jack Chen, Simon Finfer and Arthas Flabouris
Med J Aust 2008; 188 (11): 657-659. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01825.x
Published online: 2 June 2008

https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2008/188 ... vital-sign

[OnanB]

It's been my experience that careful monitoring of respiratory rate can prevent serious complications. Although in most cases everyone pays more attention to pulse and blood pressure than to respiratory rate.

[emattson]

The Apple Watch uses its built-in accelerometer to calculate the number of times a person breaths per minute. It is activated only during the sleep or bedtime when the person lie still. Sleep respiratory rate for a healthy adults in a relax state is about 12–20 times per minute. It wasn't meant for medical diagnostic since it's not accurate, but helpful for alerting the wearer to schedule a medical examination.

The Apple Watch cannot diagnose sleep apnea.

More people study pulse rate because so many smart watches and rings measure them. They're the easiest to read.