What is respiratory muscle training?
Respiratory muscle training is
an exercise method to strengthen the respiratory muscles .
When muscles, including the respiratory muscles, are weakened, an imbalance arises between what they have to do (load) and what they can do (load capacity).
This imbalance can contribute to the feeling of shortness of breath and limitations in exercise capacity. Strengthening the respiratory muscles (increasing their load capacity) can improve these symptoms and consequently the quality of life.
How does one train the respiratory muscles?
Just like training other muscles in the body, one needs to apply additional load or resistance against which the muscles must work. This additional load is necessary for muscles to grow and become stronger.
For respiratory muscle training, one must use an electronic device that allows to set a resistance level. One inhales with this device and will notice that it's a bit harder than when they breathe normally. This is because they have to work against resistance to gain muscle strength. The resistance and how it's built up will be determined together with the participant. At the start of the training schedule, we'll perform a maximal inspiratory muscle test. This way, we know how strong the muscles are before one starts training and we can monitor the personal progress. Increasing training resistance is done based on a predetermined schedule, symptoms and experiences.
