Breathing and digestion
How fast does exercise change your breathing?
Does harder exercise make you take more breaths per minute?
Watch first
An English teaching video on this topic from Amoeba Sisters. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.
What you need
Tick each one as you find it — 0 of 3 ready.
Stay safe: Stop straight away if you feel dizzy. Skip the star jumps if you have asthma symptoms that day.
Plan the fair test
- Change: How hard the exercise is (sitting, walking, star jumps)
- Measure: Breaths per minute
- Keep the same: How long you exercise for, and how long you rest before counting
Objectives this evidences
- Understand the structure and functions of the gas exchange system and the effects of exercise, asthma and smoking
Do it, one step at a time
Step 1 of 4
- Step 1. Sit still for two minutes, then count your breaths for one minute. That is your resting rate.
- Step 2. Walk on the spot for one minute, then count your breaths for a minute straight after.
- Step 3. Rest until you are back to your resting rate, then repeat with one minute of star jumps.
- Step 4. Repeat the whole thing three times and work out a mean for each activity.
What should happen
Breathing rate rises with harder exercise, because muscles need oxygen delivered faster.
Think about: Your breathing rate stays high for a while after you stop. What is your body still paying back?
Write up your result
A sentence or two is enough to save it.
The lessons behind this practical
Each one opens with the same short film, and the film has a written transcript underneath if reading is easier than watching.
Now the quiz for this topic
Questions come from the lessons behind this practical, so nothing is asked that has not been taught.
Quiz
Breathing and digestion quiz
4 questions from the lessons in this stage. No timer, and you can try again as many times as you like.