Breathe Easier in 2019: Kick Start Your Lung Health with National Take the Stairs Day

A new year marks a fresh beginning, and as many people prepare to start 2019 strong, the American Lung Association in Washington offers five tips on how to improve your lung health starting with National Take the Stairs Day.

1. Take the Stairs: According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 80 percent of Americans don’t get enough exercise, but taking the stairs is an easy way to get moving. National Take the Stairs Day is January 9, and the Lung Association encourages taking the stairs at home, at work and anytime possible as stair climbing burns more calories than walking or running.
2. Quit Smoking: Quitting tobacco is the best thing you can do for your lungs and your health. Smoking is a serious addiction, and it may take several attempts to successfully quit for good. Set yourself up for success in 2019 with proven quit smoking methods through Freedom From Smoking, and join hundreds of thousands who have quit.
3. Test Your Home for Radon: Naturally-occurring radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. It’s invisible, odorless and tasteless, and can also build up in homes and buildings to dangerous levels undetected. An estimated one in 15 homes has unsafe radon gas levels, so testing is recommended.
4. Breathe Easier with Lung Disease: If you’re living with a lung disease, you’re not alone. Management strategies and techniques to improve your health may be available, allowing you to live a full and healthy life. Speak to your doctor to see if an asthma management plan or Better Breathers Clubs might be right for you. The American Lung Association’s toll-free Lung HelpLine (1-800-LUNGUSA) is staffed by trained medical experts who provide support and answer lung health questions.
5. Learn Your Lung Cancer Risk: Take a simple, two-minute quiz at SavedByTheScan.org to learn about your risk for lung cancer and see if you’re eligible for lung cancer screening. This test can help diagnose the disease in its earliest stages, when it’s most curable. If everyone eligible were screened, 25,000 lives would be saved. Screening isn’t for everyone, so take the online quiz and talk to your doctor to see if screening might be right for you. For those eligible for the test, screening is covered by Medicare and most health insurance plans without cost sharing.