How to Shrink Your Lungs

• 1). Grow older. It's just a fact of life that aging causes your lungs to shrink. Dr. Al Sears of Dr. Sears' Wellness Group in Florida warns that the average person loses approximately 20 percent of his or her lung capacity between the ages of 30 and 40, and by age 50 the average person has lost nearly 40 percent of his or her lung capacity.
  
  
• 2). Do aerobics or cardio exercises. Your body usually gets used to cardio and aerobics routines, which causes your lungs to actually shrink, according to Dr. Sears.
  
  
• 3). Smoke. Smoking causes injury to the lining of the lungs and can also contribute to their shrinking over time. It can also lead to serious illness in the lungs, including cancer and sarcoidosis, according to the Mayo Clinic's website.
  
  
• 4). Develop pulmonary fibrosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, this serious lung disease, which causes the lining of lungs to harden and shrink, occurs when lungs are injured through such things as radiation treatments, smoking and viruses such as such as Epstein-Barr.