BENGALURU: During the first wave, Covid attacked mainly the elderly. Second wave is attacking many young income producers. The third wave is likely to attack children. The pandemic holds many mysteries and the recent finding is that of ‘Happy Hypoxia’. It is commonly found in kids as their immunity is high and are relatively playful; it is when they do not show signs of breathlessness till their oxygen levels drop significantly. By then the disease progresses and affects the lungs. Breathing exercises can strengthen the lungs and reduce the impact of Covid before, during, and after it strikes. Here are some simple breathing activities kids can try indoors:
1.Belly breathing Make your child lie down. Place a stuffed toy on his belly. Count to five, ask to breath in through nose, filling their belly with air. Count to five while they breathe out, watching their stuffed animal gently swing up and down along with their breathing.
2.Paint the town red All members sit with a white sheet of paper and do some blow painting. Put some blobs of watercolour on the paper, take a straw and blow the paint in any direction. In the end, each one can see what they have created.
Smelling flowers Ask your munchkin to imagine they are smelling a flower/ or give a real one. Ask them to breathe in deeply through the nose and out through the mouth.
Feather breathing Get some coloured feathers. Breathe in and hold it for a count of three, then breathe out going up on one side of the feather and down the other side.
Rainbow breathing Ask your little one to start with arms at the side of his body. The arms go up as he breathes in and down as he breathes out, (arms make a rainbow).
Water/Soap Bubbles Have your little one make bubbles in a cup of water through a straw or with the soap bubble toy. Encourage them to take a deep breath in and blow it out soft and long.
Bumble bee breath Have your child sit comfortably and inhale through their nose, keeping their mouth closed. Have them make a humming or buzzing sound as they exhale. Your child can also cup their hands around their ears to amplify the buzz.
Blow candles Have your kid blow out the candles on an imaginary birthday cake, drawing a deep breath in through the nose, and blowing them out strongly through their mouth.
Dragon breath Have your child interlace their fingers under their chin, and as they inhale through their nose, have them raise their elbows as high as they can around their neck and face. On exhaling as if whistling through mouth, ask them to lower their elbows back down. Dragon breathing assists to dislodge the mucus/ phlegm from the lungs. It enhances chest expansion and gives a good stretch to the rib cage.
Woodchopper breathing Have your little one clasp their hands together in front of their body. Take a long breath in while raising hands above their head. Then, on a vigorous exhale with mouth open, as if fogging on a glass, forcefully take hands down and bend down towards the legs. Drop the head and let go of all the tension in the body. Woodchopper breathing is a natural decongestant. (The author is a senior physiotherapist, Aster RV Hospital)