They often say the littlest things make the biggest difference. While breathing is something we do continuously throughout the day without thinking about it, many of us are doing it improperly — and it’s having a negative effect on your physical and mental health.
When we are mindful of our breathing techniques and utilize them in various situations throughout the day, we’ll be more level-headed, focused, relaxed, and confident. It won’t matter what life throws at us, we’ll be ready for it and welcome it with open arms.
Reasons For Improper Technique
In order to fully understand the importance of breathing, we need to understand where most of us go wrong with our breathing. Believe it or not, everyday life will normally get in the way of proper breathing, but there are easy ways to fix it.
One of the leading causes of poor breathing will come from sitting too often. Those with office jobs are typically at a high-risk of this. When we sit slouched over for long periods of time, our lungs aren’t given enough space to fully expand. When our lungs are squished, they won’t be getting enough oxygen to function properly.
Another leading cause is a lack of exercise, more specifically cardio. During physical activity, we force ourselves to focus more on our breathing technique in order to get through the workout. This is good practice for your lungs and the rest of your respiratory system.
Outside of that, constant stress and anxiety can lead to harmful breathing variations.
How Can We Breathe Better?
When we breathe properly, we should be inhaling through our diaphragm — not our chest. Many people will do the opposite, but your lungs won’t be getting enough oxygen when you breathe.
There’s actually an easy way to tell if you’re breathing properly or not. Lay on your back, place one hand on your stomach, and place one hand on your chest. Start to take normal breaths and observe which hand starts to rise and fall as a result. Ideally, you should see your stomach doing all the work — not the chest.
The only time the chest should start to move is during a large breath, which is normal.
In regards to your inhale and exhale, a healthy breathing technique will inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. The hairs in your nostrils will help filter unwanted debris and toxins, while exhaling through the mouth will properly dispose of carbon dioxide.
Benefits of Breathing Properly
It’s a well-known fact that breathing is more important than we think, but what exactly does a proper technique do for us? The truth is, breathing does quite a bit for our bodies.
A proper breathing technique will not only relieve stress and detoxify the body, but it will also help regulate emotions, regulating heart rate, fully oxygenate the body, promotes inner peace, improves athletic performance, massages the inner organs, enhance your posture, and strengthens your lungs.
If you want to start taking control of your breathing, give me a call today and I’ll teach you all about it!