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How do you breath? Have you ever thought about it? Some people hold their breath which is not good for many reasons. Others mouth breath. Others shallow breath and few belly breath. Do this simple exercise.
Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Now, take a DEEP breath in. Which hand moved the most? If you said the hand that was on your chest then you are a chest breather. If you said the hand that was on your belly then you are a belly breather. What is the difference? According to my friend, Wikipedia….
Chest Breather: Shallow breathing, thoracic breathing, or chest breathing is the drawing of minimal breath into the lungs, usually by drawing air into the chest area using the intercostal muscles rather than throughout the lungs via the diaphragm. WATCH the beginning of this video, these kids are chest breathing. See how their chest rises and so does their shoulders.
Belly Breather: Diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing is breathing that is done by contracting the diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity. Air enters the lungs and the belly expands during this type of breathing.
What does that mean for you? Belly breathing is a more natural way to breath. Watch a little baby breath. They belly breath. Most mammals belly breath when they are in a relaxed state. If you don’t believe me, watch your dog. When you belly breath you get a deeper and more fulfilling breath. It can help lower heart rate, blood pressure and other cardio pulmonary conditions as well as help with anxiety and stress. It is a great way to get more oxygen into your body especially while exercising. If you have neck issues then you may chest breath. When you chest breath, you also tighten the muscles in the upper chest area including the neck. This is also a cause of anxiety and panic attacks as your body is not getting sufficient oxygen in a timely manner.
How do you belly breath. Practice while either sitting or lying down. I like to teach people in front of a mirror so that they can see what is happening. Put your hand on your belly and take a deep breath in. As you do this, push your belly out. Your hand will give your brain external cues that this is the area you are working on! This will get you in the habit of expanding your ribcage while inhaling and soon your belly will automatically expand when you inhale. After you get a full inhale, pause and hold your breath for a few seconds. Then exhale the air out and pull your tummy tight, this will help get all of the air out of the lungs.
Practice this a few times each day while seated or lying down before you start incorporating it into your life. As you get better at belly breathing, start counting while you inhale. Try to get up to a 10 second inhale. Hold for 5 seconds. Then exhale for 10 more seconds. You can watch me and do it with me HERE!
This is also a great way to start your day. If you are sitting in traffic, try practicing this. It will decrease your heart rate so that you are not stressed out starting or ending your day!
If you do any kind of endurance sports or cardio workouts (which you should!) then you need to learn this as your body needs the oxygen delivered to the the cells quickly and efficiently.
Ok, your turn!! Go out and BREATH!!
