Breathing is often taken for granted, but in the face of the coronavirus outbreak that can infect the respiratory system, online videos of exercises connected to lung function by physiotherapists are proving helpful to stay healthy.
They outline a series of simple but effective techniques that are recommended to help everyone maintain good functional breathing capacity, but all the more anyone suffering from COVID-19, where shortness of breath is a common respiratory symptom.
A similar UK video on breathing techniques in relation to COVID-19 went viral, with author JK Rowling vouching for the exercises and making the controversial claim that they “got rid” of her symptoms.
But physiotherapist Anabel Sciriha, who specialises in respiratory care, says the exercises do not cure the virus. What they can do is alleviate some of the respiratory symptoms by helping to clear mucus and secretions from the lungs.
This is especially so for those already suffering from respiratory conditions – such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis – who have been directed to self-isolate during the pandemic because they are considered more...
