When many people think of physical fitness, they often think of maintaining a healthy weight, building strength, and increasing endurance. However, there are other aspects of fitness that should be considered. Among these overlooked aspects is proper breathing technique. Read on to learn more about this important method to achieving your fitness goals, find out some exercises you can try, and discover how your body can benefit.
Improper Breathing
Studies have shown that most of us breathe improperly. In short, improper breathing is any breathing that is shallow. This means it’s focused primarily in your chest and uses only a portion of your lung capacity. Such breathing, according to the American Lung Association, allows air with waste gases in it to build up in our lungs rather than being expelled with deep breaths. It also results in lower oxygen levels in our bodies and requires our neck, back, and chest muscles to work harder than they should to help us breathe.
Suggested Breathing Exercises
The American Lung Association (ALA) recommends two breathing exercises to ensure deep breathing. The first is called pursed-lip breathing. In this exercise, you should breathe in through your nose and then breathe out for twice as long through pursed lips. The ALA notes this exercise will reduce how many breaths you need to take and will allow your airways to stay open longer.
The other suggested exercise is called belly breathing, which is also called diaphragmatic breathing. In this exercise, you breathe in through your nose, then breathe out through your mouth for twice as long. You’ll want to relax your neck and shoulders to make sure your diaphragm is fully involved. It can be helpful to rest your hands on your belly to feel it rise and fall.
Dr. Andrew Weil, the noted holistic health doctor, proposes a few other breathing exercises. One goes by two names, the stimulating breath or the bellows breath. In this exercise, you inhale and exhale through your nose in short, rapid breaths, aiming for three cycles per second.
Another exercise Dr. Weil suggests is called the 4-7-8 exercise, also known as the relaxing breath exercise. You start by exhaling completely. Then you inhale through your nose for a count of four. Next, you hold your breath for a count of seven. Finally, you exhale through your mouth for a count of eight.
The last exercise suggested by Weil is called breath counting. This requires sitting quietly and paying attention to your breath. To start, count “one” with your first exhale. Then, notice each time you exhale, counting up to five. At that point, you should start over with a new count of five.
Another helpful breathing exercise is called inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST). It requires a piece of specialized equipment, but the exercise itself is simple. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Arizona recommend breathing in rapidly through this device 30 times, or about five minutes, per day. They say the exercise can strengthen the diaphragm and other muscles used in breathing.
Benefits to Proper Breathing
There are several benefits to proper breathing. According to the ALA, it can make our lungs work more efficiently and allow us to be more physically active. Further, breathing exercises can improve lung health in those with lung diseases.
Proper breathing can even benefit our mental health. Dr. Weil suggests that breathing exercises can assist with creating a sense of calm and ease stress-related health problems, such as panic attacks. He also asserts that breathing exercises can reduce anxiety, help with relaxation, and increase energy.
Another benefit to proper breathing is a reduction in blood pressure. The researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Arizona who studied IMST found that participants were able to lower their blood pressure at least as well as those who participated in aerobic exercise or took medication. They also found improvements in other vascular measures.
Given all these benefits, perhaps it’s time to add breathing exercises to your daily routine. It’s an easy way to improve your overall health, and it can help you achieve your other fitness goals.