Practicing proper breathing can make a huge difference in achieving optimal health. Unfortunately, not everyone pays importance to proper breathing.
Generally, each body system relies on oxygen. From digestion to the cognitive system, effective breathing is beneficial. It doesn’t only provide a greater sense of mental clarity, but it also helps you digest food more efficiently, sleep better, reduce stress levels, and improve your immunity. To know more, here’s a great post to read about breathing.
There are other ways proper breathing impacts your health and below are some of them:
Improves Respiratory Health
Mindful, slow, and deep breathing breaks the cycle of airway constriction and gasping breaths, which are typically associated with respiratory illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. When taking in slow and shallow breaths through your nose, you lengthen the time between your breaths, which can aggravate this issue.
By practicing regularly, proper breathing has the ability to promote regulated and calm breathing and lessen wheezing.
Enhances Mood And Reduces Stress
The mind and body connection remains an enigma to the majority of medical professionals. Still, other experts agree that there’s something special about the link between emotions and the mind as well as how you breathe.
For instance, when you’re stressed, your body’s airways become tighter, which makes it more difficult for air to travel from your mouth to your lungs. With this in mind, the body has to work harder to transfer air and you’ll end up breathing faster, which can worsen the problem.
Of course, it’s the reason why people are often told to take a deep breath every time they’re feeling nervous or stressed before a performance or a presentation. So, take note that calming the body and mind starts with breathing properly. Relaxed and slow breathing enables more oxygen to reach your cells and calms your nervous system.
Also, mindfulness practices including meditation and mindful yoga can help reinforce mind and body awareness. People who practice proper breathing regularly through yoga may alleviate depression, anxiety, everyday stress, and so on.
Better Sleep And Relaxation
When you start breathing properly, you’ll notice an overall calming effect as your body tensions release. You can also feel and see your heartbeat and pulse relax once you wear a health tracker. If you’re having trouble sleeping, an excellent option is to practice proper breathing for sleep.
The calming effect of proper breathing triggers the body’s relaxation response, which will let you fall asleep quickly. While you’re sleeping, you’ll also notice waking up less frequently in between. Improved oxygen in your blood can also boost your metabolism, providing you a boost of energy, which can be beneficial before starting your day.
Whether you’re searching for ways to balance your nostril breathing, feel a sense of calm and cleansing, and find a deep mind-body connection, the mentioned practices can truly help in achieving these.
Helps You to Achieve Better Posture
The more time you spend sitting at desk jobs to spending hours in front of the computer or television, the fewer chances the body can fight the gravity forces and maintain a stable, strong core, which can eventually lead to bad posture.
In the long run, a sedentary lifestyle can weaken your respiratory muscles. It can also create tension in your upper body, which can alter your posture and undermine your health. In addition, once you breathe from your chest instead of your lower abdomen, your neck and shoulder muscles end up doing most of the job.
It must go without saying that such muscles weren’t meant for this type of work and in the long run, your shoulders will round and your head will drift forward. This can strain your neck and weaken your back muscles. Sometimes, severe neck and shoulder pain will occur. Fortunately, you can combat these by practicing proper breathing. It could be helpful to correct rounded shoulders, allow your rib cage to expand, and open your chest muscles.
Enhances Your Physical Performance And Endurance
Regardless if you’re planning to participate in sports such as volleyball, soccer, or basketball or you’re searching for ways to increase your physical stamina for other reasons, practicing proper breathing can be a good solution as it has many benefits. In a study, it’s suggested to be true, especially to young swimmers who practice yogic breathing.
How To Do Proper Breathing
Since breathing is essential for your body system, it’s important to do it right. To get started, make sure that you begin with the proper posture.
Let your lungs expand efficiently and quickly with every breath by sitting up straight. It can help air to travel into your lungs and let carbon dioxide travel out of your lungs unimpeded. If you’re sitting at your desk, consider repositioning your body with a straight back to notice an improvement in how oxygen reaches your bloodstream and your brain more smoothly.
While most people focus on inhaling to improve their breathing, others exhale only some percentage of carbon dioxide in their lungs. To avoid this, consider pushing all of the air out of your lungs like blowing bubbles. This won’t only reward you with energy, but you’ll also notice how good it feels to fill and clear your lungs.
Breathing Exercises To Try
There are various formulas and patterns you can use to improve your breathing. Below are some breathing exercises you can try:
- Box Breathing – This breathing exercise starts by breathing in through the nostrils for five seconds, holding it for five seconds, and breathing out for five seconds before you breathe in again. If possible, practice box breathing for at least three minutes daily on a regular basis.
- Tactical Breathing – This breathing technique can be done when doing exercises like running. It works by breathing in through your nose for four seconds and breathing out through your mouth for six seconds. If you can, try to focus on this rhythm for at least two minutes.
The benefits of proper breathing are immense. Once you get used to practicing it and when you engage in various breathing exercises, this can potentially give your mental and physical health a boost. If you don’t know where to begin, it’s best to start with the basics or ask for proper guidance from your healthcare professional to achieve your best results.
