Keeping yourself healthy can feel impossible sometimes, especially if you have pulmonary fibrosis (PF). However, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation suggests a few lifestyle changes that can improve your quality of life.

Exercise
You may feel tempted to exercise as little as possible to avoid feeling short of breath or fatigued but that’s the worst approach you can take. Think of the whole respiratory system as a muscle — if you don’t use your muscles, they’ll atrophy and never reach their full potential and the same goes for your lungs. Exercise gives you a bigger lung capacity and teaches you how to make every breath as efficient as possible. It’s a good idea to discuss this with your doctor as pulmonary rehabilitation is always preferred to unsupervised exercise.

Rest and relax
Nowadays life’s more stressful than ever and we barely have any time to ourselves, but it’s important to remember you need it. You should always get the recommended amount of sleep for your age group, as it’ll help your immune system stay strong. Stress will also attack your body’s natural defenses. You need to find a small bit of time in your day to relax as anxiety and depression are very serious and real threats for someone suffering from PF.

MORE: 12 Facts About Pulmonary Fibrosis Prognosis and Life Expectancy