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Updated: Dec 11, 2025
Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns
Published on: September 16, 2019
Effect of deep breathing exercises in healthy smokers: A pilot study
Noor Abid1, Anees Rafiq Rao2, Muhammad Naveed Babar3
1Department of Physical Therapy, Isra Institute of Rehabilitation Science, Isra University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Objective:
To determine the effect of deep breathing exercises on lung functions in apparently healthy smokers.
Methods:
The pilot study was conducted at Isra University, Islamabad, Pakistan, from May to December, 2017, and comprised apparently healthy smokers aged 20-30 years with a minimum smoking history of 5 years. The participants were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group was not given any treatment, while the experimental group was trained on deep breathing exercise techniques. Baseline data was compared after two weeks of intervention. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis.
Results:
Of the 30 subjects, there were 15(50%) in each of the two groups. In the experimental group, significant changes were found in vital capacity, inspiratory capacity, tidal volume, expiratory reserve volume, force expiratory volume, and forced vital capacity (p<0.05). Post-intervention, all parameters improved significantly in the experimental group (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Deep breathing exercise techniques were found to be useful in healthy smokers for improving lung functions and delaying the development of chronic obstructive lung complications.
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