How to Keep Your Lungs Healthy: Why Lung Function Matters for Overall Wellbeing
Why Lung Health Is More Important Than You Think
The condition of your lungs reveals far more than just how well you breathe—it can also provide insight into your overall health and even how your body ages. Every day, your lungs filter air filled with pollutants, microbes, allergens, and dust. Over time, this constant exposure can accelerate lung aging, which in turn affects your immune system, heart, weight, and even brain health.
A landmark study published in May 2025 by international respiratory experts analyzed data from 30,000 people and confirmed that lung function peaks in early adulthood—generally in the early to mid-20s for men, and slightly earlier for women. After this peak, lung capacity begins to decline naturally, but lifestyle choices such as smoking, exposure to pollution, or untreated asthma can make this decline more severe.
According to Professor Judith Garcia-Aymerich from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, having strong lung function at your peak can provide resilience later in life, lowering your risk of chronic respiratory disease and other age-related conditions.
A Simple Way to Test Your Lungs at Home
While medical-grade tests require specialized equipment, you can get a rough estimate of your lung capacity with a simple home experiment. All you need is a plastic bottle, water, a bucket, and a piece of rubber tubing:
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Mark the bottle with 200ml increments by filling and emptying it with water.
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Fill the bottle completely and submerge it upside down in a bucket of water.
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Insert the tubing into the bottle neck while keeping it submerged.
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Take a deep breath and blow into the tube.
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Count how many 200ml water lines you displace. Multiply this number by 200ml to calculate your lung capacity.
This test measures your forced vital capacity (FVC)—the total amount of air you can exhale after a deep breath. A healthy FVC typically ranges from 3 to 5 liters. However, experts caution that home tests may not always be accurate, so medical evaluation with a spirometer is recommended for precise results.
How Lung Health Impacts the Whole Body
Declining lung function doesn’t only cause breathing problems. Research shows that it can contribute to:
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High blood pressure
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Weakened immunity
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Metabolic issues like diabetes
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Osteoporosis and frailty
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Cognitive decline and memory loss
Professor Dawn Bowdish from McMaster University explains that the lungs are deeply connected to the immune system, heart, and circulation. When lung immune cells fail to clear pollutants, chronic inflammation can occur, leading to scarring (pulmonary fibrosis) and impacting other organs. This inflammation may also explain the link between poor lung health and age-related conditions across the body.
How to Improve and Protect Your Lungs
Even though lung capacity naturally declines with age, lifestyle habits can slow this process and keep you healthier for longer. Here are evidence-backed ways to improve lung health:
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Exercise regularly: Strengthens respiratory muscles and reduces inflammation.
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Eat a balanced diet: Fish oils, antioxidants, and vitamins C and E can protect lung tissue, while reducing excess salt may lower inflammation.
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Quit smoking and vaping: Both introduce harmful chemicals that damage lung tissue.
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Maintain a healthy weight: Excess belly fat can compress the lungs and restrict airflow.
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Try inspiratory muscle training (IMT): Breathing against resistance with a device can boost lung strength, improve stamina, and even lower blood pressure.
John Dickinson from the University of Kent recommends clinical lung tests every 10 years for healthy adults, or immediately if you experience unexplained shortness of breath.
The Takeaway: Your Lungs and Your Future Health
Healthy lungs don’t just help you breathe easier—they support your heart, immunity, and even your brain. By protecting and strengthening lung function through exercise, diet, and healthy lifestyle choices, you can add resilience to your body as you age.
As one expert put it: “Healthy lungs have more than enough capacity to sustain us through life—but only if we look after them.”