People with respiratory conditions say singing groups help

New singing groups are said to be helping people with respiratory conditions breathe better 

    People have started meeting in three Devon locations

The Singing for Wellness project includes participants with asthma and long-term COVID.

Wren Music, a charity, stated that it should also improve their overall health.

A respiratory physiotherapist, who is supporting the cause's task, says singing can assist individuals with overseeing windedness.

In 2018, the project began as a pilot in Torbay.

Groups in Okehampton and Honiton have opened as a result of receiving funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

    Stanley Massey, a former choir boy, said the group had reconnected him with his love for music

A cause representative said individuals can "pay what they feel" to participate.

Paul Wilson, the charity's co-founder and community music leader, has been using singing to teach respiratory patients how to control and lengthen their breath.

He stated: In everyday life, we only use 10% of our lungs. We are attempting to utilize the other 90% while we sing.

"It's fantastically healthy for people, but primarily we're bringing people together who have lived with breathlessness so that they can actually share things and feel less isolated," says the organization.

'Happy note'

The charity said that because many people with chronic lung conditions had to protect themselves, the Covid-19 pandemic had made them feel isolated.

The singing group, according to Laraine Carless, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, assisted her in breathing.

"Having this condition is very depressing... "Since I joined, I do these exercises every morning and it puts me on a happy note," despite the fact that I am currently in a wheelchair and unable to walk. "But this makes me so happy."

'Real Fun'

Stanley Massey, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, used to be a choir boy at Exeter Cathedral. He claimed that the group had rekindled his interest in music.

"I feel a lot better for it... It's not like a choir, it's really fun," "This definitely helps my breathing."

The project has received support from respiratory physiotherapist Kathryn Donohue of the University of Plymouth's Faculty of Health.

She said: It helps them deal with breathlessness, a major limiting factor in respiratory disease... "In some conditions, the diaphragm becomes dysfunctional, making it less effective.

"Singing really emphasizes the use of the diaphragm, so it is essential to managing their disease, increasing their lung capacity, and thereby reducing their breathlessness in a positive way."