Pursed lip breathing, deep or diaphragmatic breathing, and huff coughing or huff breathing are all common breathing techniques used to maintain lung elasticity for those with chronic lung conditions such as COPD. However, when done in a coordinated succession, this is known as the Active Cycle Breathing Technique which can be very effective at relaxing airways and clearing out mucus. This video goes through detailed instructions on how to do each exercise. You should use the exercise time and rhythm prescribed by your doctor but this video is a good instruction video so that you can figure out how to make this technique work for you.
Doing the Active Cycle Breathing Technique when you first wake up in the morning to clear congestion that may have settled into your chest during the night. Do it again a few minutes before you take your inhaled medication to relax airways and allow the medicine to penetrate more fully into your air passageways. You might also consider doing some active cycle breathing before you eat. Clearing out any congestion and making sure you are breathing as well as possible can make mealtime more enjoyable.
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