BREATHE in... and blow out.
Sheffield Lord Mayor Graham Oxley demonstrated the art of lung testing – after helping to raise awareness of a breathing condition that affects thousands of people across the UK.
Coun Oxley joined Hillsborough MP Angela Smith and Sheffield International Venues' chief executive Steve Brailey to perform a COPD test at Hillsborough Leisure Centre.
Staff teamed up with Breathe Easy, a support group for the British Lung Foundation, to raise awareness of the respiratory disease COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – which describes a group of serious lung conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The incurable condition affects one in seven people in UK, is the biggest reason for hospital admissions, and is often misdiagnosed.
Sufferers experience a shortness of breath which makes it difficult for them to carry out day-to-day activities like cleaning, walking and gardening.
But exercise can help, and visitors to Hillsborough had the chance to take part in taster exercise sessions such as chair aerobics and tai chi.
COPD affects smokers in particular and is more common among people who have worked in traditional industries such as steel and coal where they breathed in dust and fumes for many years.
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