The full breathing cycle (inhale-exhale) occurs between 12 and 20 times per minute, ensuring the intake of oxygen and the expulsion of carbon dioxide.

This gas exchange (oxygen intake and carbon dioxide removal) is crucial for sustaining life. However, oxygen deficiency is not regulated by conscious thought. While we may experience thirst or hunger when lacking nutrients or fluids, few people are aware of their body's need for oxygen. Regular breathing occurs at the cellular level since no living cell can function without oxygen. To ensure this process continues uninterrupted, the body has a respiratory system.

When you inhale through your nose or mouth, the air travels down the pharynx (at the back of the throat), passing through the larynx and trachea. The trachea divides into two airways called bronchi. One bronchus directs air to the left lung, and the other to the right lung. For the lungs to function properly, the airways must remain open and uninflamed.

The bronchi further divide into smaller airways and then into bronchioles. The bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli, where oxygen is transferred from the inhaled air into the blood.

After oxygen is absorbed, the blood exits the lungs and travels to the heart. The heart then pumps the blood throughout the body to deliver oxygen to the tissues and organs. As cells use oxygen, carbon dioxide is produced and transferred to the blood. The blood carries the carbon dioxide back to the lungs, where it is expelled during exhalation.

The balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration is more or less constant and is regulated at an unconscious level. Under calm conditions, oxygen intake occurs at an optimal rate for the specific age and body. However, during physical exertion or sudden intense stress, carbon dioxide levels increase. In this case, the nervous system sends signals to the respiratory center, which adjusts the frequency of inhalation and exhalation to increase oxygen intake and offset excess carbon dioxide. If this process is interrupted for any reason, a lack of oxygen can quickly lead to disorientation, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and then irreversible brain damage and clinical death. This is why the respiratory system's function in the body is considered one of the most vital.

Regular inhalation of polluted air, low environmental quality, smog, and city dust negatively affect respiratory function, not to mention smoking, which kills millions of people worldwide each year.

Weak respiratory muscles play a crucial role in the functioning of the body's primary systems. If they are not trained, we may receive up to 70% less oxygen from each breath.

The onset of "shortness of breath," along with increased heart rate and significant blood pressure elevation during physical exercise, is also related to weak respiratory muscles.

The development of strength and "endurance" of the respiratory muscles improves with their training or when they are functioning under load, such as with resistance to the exhaled airflow.