Most people do not breathe correctly. Considering that breathing is something we do 24/7 to keep us alive it is odd that we do not breathe in an efficient way. Most of us are shallow breathers and this creates a whole gamut of problems. Breathing exercises can strengthen the muscles we use to breathe and allow us to get the most bang for our breath.

Significance

Breathing exercises can increase the strength of the muscles used in respiration. When you do not breathe deeply your intercostal muscles (around the ribs) get tight and weak, which makes breathing more difficult. Not only is it harder to get air into your lungs but it is harder to breathe out all the air you take in. This makes it difficult for clean, fresh oxygen to get distributed throughout your body where it’s needed. Without a steady supply of fresh oxygen you can become tired and are at higher risk for heart and respiratory disease. Breathing exercises will counteract the adverse effects of shallow breathing by making you breathe deeply from your belly.

Benefits

Breathing from your belly, or diaphragm, is very beneficial for your health and well-being. Most people breathe only from their chest or lungs. Actually, chest breathers only breathe into the top part of their lungs. Engaging your diaphragm muscle, which is situated below the chest, will allow you to take in more oxygen. This brings more blood and lymph into the chest and to the heart. Lymph contains immune cells. More lymph and oxygen-rich blood being circulated throughout the body will reduce the chances of lung infections, improve athletic endurance and create a feeling of relaxation and well-being.

Sleep

If you place one hand on your stomach and one on your lungs while you are breathing normally you can see if you are a chest breather or belly breather. How you breathe while you are awake is also how you breathe while you sleep. That means one-third of your life—the time spent sleeping—you may not be breathing efficiently. Consistently doing breathing exercises will train you to breathe deeply while you’re awake and will spill over into how you breathe while you’re asleep.

Diaphragm Breathing

Examples of breathing exercises include one that simply teaches you to breathe from your belly. Start by sitting comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Be sure to sit up tall. Breathe in while relaxing the muscles in your abdomen. Allow your stomach to fill with air first and then allow your lungs to fill, too. Hold the air in for five seconds before releasing the air from your lungs. Contract your abdominal muscles to push out all the air you took in. Continue breathing mindfully for five minutes. A variation of this exercise involves humming as you breathe out from your lungs and abdomen. Try to maintain the sound for as long as you can.

Increase Energy

Breathing exercises can be used to strengthen respiratory muscles, but they can also be used to create energy. An exercise called Bellows breathing, or the stimulating breath, can be used in addition to diaphragm breathing to give you a quick burst of energy. It also combats stress as it stimulates the release of epinephrine. Inhale and exhale quickly through your nose. Although this is fast it is not shallow in terms of breathing from your lungs. You will still be engaging your diaphragm muscle. Put your hand over your diaphragm and feel it move quickly up and down as you push in and out rapidly to do this exercise.

Warning

Hyperventilation is a possibility when doing quick, energizing breathing exercises. Be sure to be seated when doing breathing exercises.