BREATHING 101

We often hear about the importance of food and water for our health but we don’t often hear about how our prioritising our breathing can greatly influence our health and wellbeing.

Below are 3 ways focusing on our breathing can positively impact our health.

Stress management – Rapid inhalation is a sign of stress breathing (fight or flight breathing). By slowing down our breathing rate and taking a longer exhale we can feel more relaxed and calmer. Next time you feel yourself becoming stressed, try focusing on slowing down your breathing. You may notice your stress becoming more manageable.

Recovery – A simple change such as breathing through your nose during physical activity (where possible) can have a huge improvement on your recovery. Studies have shown that Nitric Oxide (which is best absorbed through the nose) can increase oxygen intake between 14-18%. Breathing through the nose also helps filter air, making it easier for the lungs to take in oxygen which is essential for recovering muscles.

Neck and shoulder symptoms – Poor breathing patterns is 1 of the reasons for neck/shoulder symptoms I see commonly in my practice. The diaphragm is our primary breathing muscle, if our diaphragm isn’t working efficiently our body may recruit secondary breathing muscles in the neck and shoulder regions to ‘pick up the slack’. These muscles are handy in fight-or-flight situations but are problematic if we rely on them for breathing as it can lead to neck and shoulder symptoms. When practicing breathing, think about expanding your ribs out, rather than lifting up through your neck and shoulders.

On average, we take 22,000 breaths each day. If you think about the compound interest on $22,000, you would know that even a 1% change is a big win over time!

Better yet, breathing is a free and easily accessible tool.

References

Breathe by James Nester

The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick Mckeown

Jaws by Sandra Kahn and Paul Erhlich