Strelnikova breathing exercises with pneumonia

During the recovery period for pneumonia, the doctor may recommend exercise therapy and breathing exercises by Strelnikova, which helps to quickly restore full breathing, improves blood oxygen saturation, general condition and mood. However, classes can be carried out only after the body temperature has returned to normal, and the respiratory rate does not exceed 30 breaths per minute.

Initially, gymnastics is carried out in a hospital, under the guidance of an instructor: the patient lying down takes the most elongated breath, during which the instructor performs a light vibration massage – taps on the chest. It helps in clearing the small bronchi of excess mucus and coughing.

If pneumonia is unilateral, breathing exercises should initially be carried out lying on the side of the lesion. This will reduce the range of motion of the damaged lung and reduce discomfort.

Important! If the condition worsens during the exercises, they must be stopped immediately!

Breathing exercises Strelnikova with pneumonia

As the patient’s condition improves, the doctor may advise the simplest breathing exercises – a preparatory complex. They can be performed even with bed rest – they are performed lying down.

Preparatory complex of respiratory gymnastics

All exercises are first carried out under the supervision of a doctor or exercise therapy instructor, then the patient can perform them independently.

• Exercise 1. Relax as much as possible, take 40 to 60 breaths and exhalations. Breathe calmly, without tension, slowly.
• Exercise 2. Lying on your back, make circular movements with your hands.
• Exercise 3. Lying on your back, inhale, during it raise both arms above your head at the same time, as you exhale, slowly lower them down.
• Exercise 4. Sequentially, slowly bend the feet back and forth (8 times), while breathing in a normal rhythm.
• Exercise 5. Lying on your back, place both hands on your chest. As you inhale, spread your arms to the sides, placing them parallel to the floor. As you exhale, return your arms to the starting position.
• Exercise 6. Lying on your back, place your hands on your waist. Alternately pull one and the other leg to the buttocks, bending the knees. Do not take your feet off the bed. During the exercise, breathe calmly, measuredly.
• Exercise 7. Bend your elbows, rest your elbows on the surface of the bed. While inhaling, slowly arch your chest up without lifting your head from the pillow. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
• Exercise 8. Again, relax as much as possible, take 40 to 60 breaths and exhalations. Breathe calmly, without tension, slowly.

Beginner course of breathing exercises

These exercises can be done lying down or sitting in bed, lying on the floor (laying a rug). The complex is performed when inflammation in the lungs is already on the decline, controlling well-being.

• Exercise 1. Starting position – lying or sitting on the bed. Close your hands in the castle and lift up. As you inhale, turn your palms outward, as you exhale, close the lock again.
• Exercise 2. Starting position – lying in bed. Breathe calmly, effortlessly, alternately take your legs to the side, placing them parallel to the floor.
• Exercise 3. Repeat the first exercise.
• Exercise 4. Starting position – lying or sitting on the bed, hands on the chest. In turn, with each hand, while inhaling, reach for any objects that are located outside the bed. As you exhale, return your hands to the starting position.
• Exercise 5. Starting position – lying or sitting on the bed, putting both hands on the shoulder area (elbows forward). While inhaling, you need to spread your arms to the sides (as much as possible), while exhaling, return your arms to their original position.
• Exercise 6. Repeat the first, giving yourself a rest.
• Exercise 7. Starting position – lying on the bed. Breathe calmly, raise straightened legs in turn (as far as you can, without much straining).
• Exercise 8. Starting position – sitting or lying on the bed, arms along the body. As you inhale, raise your hands up one by one, bringing them behind your head. As you exhale, return your arms to the starting position.
• Exercise 9. As you inhale, alternately raise your hands up, winding them behind your head. As you exhale, return your arms to the starting position.

Repeat each exercise 3-4 times. Complete the gymnastics with an intense cycle of breaths (up to 20 – 30 times).

Strelnikova complex with complications

The duration of each lesson is no more than 15 minutes, as you feel better, the complex is repeated up to 3 times a day.

Important! If the patient has complications – atelectasis of the lung (part of the tissue is turned off from work), the exercises are carried out lying on the sore side and only with an instructor.

• Exercise 1. Lying on a healthy side, stretch your arms along the body. Raise your free hand up as you inhale, lower as you exhale. During your actions, the instructor will press on the areas that are located above the affected lung.
• Exercise 2. Lying on a healthy side, stretch your arms along the body. Take a deep breath, bending the leg at the knee, pull it to the stomach. As you exhale, bring your leg back. The instructor at this time presses on the areas located above the affected parts of the lung.

Such gymnastics is carried out 3 – 4 days in a row, 9 sets for each exercise.

Gymnastics Strelnikova for the home, during the rehabilitation period

When health allows, you need to do a full course of gymnastics at home. When exercising, breathe actively, sharply, through the nose, exhale passively through the mouth. The duration of classes is up to half an hour, in exercises from the second to the 12th they take 8 breaths in a row.

• Exercise 1: Palms. Stand up straight, bend your elbows, hold them in front of your chest with your palms up. Take 4 deep breaths while clenching your palms into fists. Lower your arms, rest 4-5 seconds, exhaling freely through your mouth. Repeat 24 times.
• Exercise 2: Shoulders. Stand up straight, clench your palms into fists and press them to your stomach. As you inhale, press your fists down, tensing your shoulder muscles, as you exhale, return your hands to their original position, relaxing the muscles. Take 8 such breaths in a row, then relax for 4-5 minutes.
• Exercise 3: Pump. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, stretch your arms along the torso. Lean forward, extending your arms to the floor, but do not touch it. At the same time, inhale while bending, exhaling while straightening your back. Do not straighten your back completely. Such inclinations should be done 50 – 100 times within a minute.
• Exercise 4: Cat. Stand up straight with your legs slightly apart. Squat down, turn to the right, taking a sharp breath. Return to starting position. Then repeat the movement on the other side. When turning with your hands, make grasping movements. Keep your back straight, moving only at the waist.
• Exercise 5: Shoulder Hugging. Stand up straight, bend your elbows, raise to the level of crying. Take a sharp breath, wrapping your arms around your shoulders, placing your arms parallel to each other. Do 4 sets with rest.
• Exercise 6: Large pendulum. Stand straight with your feet wider than shoulder width. Lean forward, pull your arms towards the floor, taking a deep breath, then return to a similar position, hugging your shoulders with your hands and inhale again.
• Exercise 7: Turning the head. Stand up straight, legs slightly apart. Turn your head to the right while inhaling, return to the starting position while exhaling, then to the left while inhaling. Exhale smoothly and inhale more sharply.
• Exercise 8: Ears. Stand up straight, legs slightly apart. Tilt your head to the right, towards the shoulder, touching it with your ear while inhaling, while raising your head, exhale. Repeat with the other shoulder.
• Exercise 9: Pendulum head. Stand up straight, legs slightly apart, tilt your head forward and look at the floor while inhaling, return to the starting position with an exhalation. Then repeat, tilting your head back as you inhale.
• Exercise 10: Rolls. Stand up straight with your left leg slightly forward and your right leg back. Transfer body weight to the left leg, bend the right leg and put it on the toe. Squat on your left leg with a strong breath. Straighten your leg and shift your body weight to the right, sit down on it with a sharp breath.

Reviews of doctors about breathing exercises Strelnikova

Natalya Shirokhova, pulmonologist:

– Breathing exercises according to Strelnikova is a non-drug method of therapy, which is based on short intermittent breaths through the nose and passive exhalations through the nose or mouth. Breathing exercises help to increase gas exchange in the lungs. Her techniques help saturate the body with oxygen, prevent the formation of fibrosis in the lung tissue, and strengthen the respiratory muscles.

Although the method is positioned as universal for the healing of many organs and systems, it is most often used by pulmonologists. The first on the list of indications for this gymnastics are lung diseases: bronchitis, bronchial asthma and pneumonia.

Most studies and observations, including in my practice, on the effectiveness of breathing exercises were carried out in patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases, which include chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma. In these patients, as a result of systematic therapy, the function of external respiration significantly improved, the frequency of asthmatic attacks decreased, and cough was relieved.

Alexey Zhito, general practitioner, cardiologist:

– Strelnikova’s breathing exercises are, of course, an important component in the complex treatment of pneumonia and recovery after it. This set of exercises has also demonstrated high efficiency in the treatment of patients with a new coronavirus infection.

These exercises improve the drainage function of the lungs, blood circulation in damaged areas of the lungs, prevent the formation of “non-working” areas of the lungs – atelectasis, strengthen general and local nonspecific immunity. The complex rehabilitation potential of exercises contributes to the normalization of the cardiovascular system, improvement of blood pressure, glycemia (blood glucose) and weight loss.

Strelnikova’s breathing exercises have a pronounced positive effect on the course of pneumonia and rehabilitation after it. This is especially true in the context of the new coronavirus infection.

But she has relative contraindications:

• pronounced increase in blood pressure (150/90 mm Hg);
• low blood pressure (below 90/60 mm Hg);
• high (above 13 mmol/l) and low (below 3,9 mmol/l) blood sugar levels;
• bleeding of various localization in the recent past;
• injuries of the chest and upper belt;
• uncompensated thyrotoxicosis;
• temperature above 37,5 °C.

However, most of them are temporary, and as soon as the problems are eliminated, gymnastics can be carried out.

There are some features of this gymnastics for certain groups of patients:

• people at high risk of falls need to reduce this risk as much as possible;
• with radiculopathy of the cervical and thoracic spine, it is necessary to limit the sharpness and amplitude of movements.

Similar restrictions are possible for patients with increased intraocular and intracranial pressure. And in order to exclude contraindications, consult your doctor before starting Strelnikova’s gymnastics.

Popular questions and answers

It is important that the doctor recommend the gymnastics, but how pronounced will the effect be and is it worth doing it at all? Answered the main questions pulmonologist Natalya Shirokhova.