Are You Breathing?

A crow exhaling in the crisp morning air while perched on a rock.

Breathing properly is one of the most important things you can do to ensure you lead a healthy, successful life. Breathing properly will reward you with a body that is functioning optimally, supporting the lifestyle you most deserve. You can’t have an optimal life without optimal breathing. You’ve been living so many years, and it has only been possible with breathing. The real issue lies in how you are breathing, how much oxygen you are drawing in, and how much CO2 you are exhaling from your lungs..

THE EFFECTS OF NOT BREATHING PROPERLY

 The negative effects of not breathing properly may seem subtle but over time they can contribute to some serious mental and physical health problems, leading to a life of stress and discomfort. The consequences of not breathing properly can range from easy to remedy to long–term illness.

SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF IMPROPER BREATHING

  • FATIGUE: Reduced oxygen delivery to the body leads to lack of ability to function, leading to fatigue. 
  • SHORTNESS OF BREATH: This can be brought on by not breathing fully while performing physical activity, or by breathing rapidly and incompletely while at rest. 
  • INCREASED ANXIETY AND STRESS: Breathing improperly can lessen one’s ability to handle and process stress, leading to increased anxiety. 
  • CO2 RETENTION: It’s very important to properly remove CO2 from the body via proper exhalation. CO2 build-up in the body can lead to labored breathing, causing lower oxygen levels in the blood and serious heart complications. 
  • RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS: Poor breathing practices over time can lead to heart strain and other diseases brought about by lack of oxygen.  
  • ASTHMA: Improper breathing daily can contribute to and encourage asthma attacks 
  • HYPERTENSION: Over time, improper breathing can play a role in high blood pressure. 
  • GASTROINTESTINAL ISSUES: Misuse of the lungs has a negative effect on the diaphragm and digestive organs, leading to conditions like acid reflux and indigestion.  

EFFECTS OF POOR BREATHING ON EMOTIONS

  • PANIC DISORDERS: Not having the ability to calm one’s self through proper breathing can trigger panic disorders. 
  • INCREASED STRESS: Improper breathing activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing a rise in the stress hormone cortisol. 
  • MOOD DISORDERS: Lack of oxygen plays a big role in mood disorders like depression and anxiety. 
  • LOSS OF EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE: Not breathing properly makes it hard for the body to cope with stress from everyday life. Breathing properly activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body. Breathing optimally daily can greatly diminish one’s negative emotional reactions. 

BENEFITS OF BREATHING PROPERLY

A close-up of a dandelion with seeds dispersing into the blue sky, symbolizing change.

Breathing properly is one of the best things you can do for yourself. The benefits range from subtle to life changing, if practiced daily. 

  • IMPROVED OXYGENATION: Optimal oxygenation to the body has beneficial effects from head to toe. Oxygen is essential for bodily function down to the cellular level. 
  • INCREASED LUNG CAPACITY: Breathing fully and properly daily leads to increased lung strength and capacity. 
  • LOWERED HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE: Consistent deep, slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which naturally decreases the heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in improved cardiovascular health. 
  • INCREASED RESILIENCE TO PAIN: Deep, slow breathing aids in relaxing the body, distracting the mind from pain, and encouraging the release of endorphins- one of the bodies ways of managing pain. 
  • STRESS REDUCTION: Optimal breathing leads to lower stress hormones, like cortisol.  

OPTIMAL BREATHING TECHNIQUES

Optimal breathing starts with inhaling through the nose. The benefits of breathing through the nose range from air filtration to improved athletic performance. Optimal breathing can and will change your life. With all the unnatural approaches to curing the ailments of the body, it is important to start with prevention rather than the cure. Practicing any of these approaches daily makes for a healthy, oxygenated body. This leads to physical and mental strength, and all-around improved bodily performance.  

  • BELLY BREATHING: The name may sound a bit silly, but the technique is seriously effective when it comes to oxygenation of the bodily system while also expelling CO2.  Approaches vary, but the main point of the technique is to use your full lung capacity by inhaling through your nose while expanding your stomach outward. This ensures you are using your full lung, upper and lower. Then exhale through your mouth while pulling your stomach in. Imagine you’re trying to touch your stomach to your spine. Repeat this, forming a pump-like sensation. 

 

  • BOX BREATHING: Inhale through your nose and hold the breath for 4 seconds. Then exhale slowly through your mouth, pausing at the end of the exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat the cycle to bring on relaxation.  

 

  • 4-7-8 BREATHING: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat as needed until a relaxed state comes over you. 

 

  • 10 to 1 METHOD: Count down from 10 to 1 in your head, while inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. It is important to relax your body with every exhale, paying special attention to your shoulders and stomach, releasing any tension and allowing yourself to sink into relaxation. Exhaling every next number down helps to align your breathing with the body as it relaxes. 

THE PRACTICE OF PROPER BREATHING

Breathing properly needs to be a conscious, daily practice for the benefits to be experienced in a way that is impactful. It sounds easy enough and, with focus and effort, it is. Your daily breathing pattern should be occasionally monitored to see if you’re breathing in a way that uses your lung’s full capacity. The practical approach is to check-in 2 to 3 times a day, at least, to make sure you are consciously applying a deep breathing technique of your choice to ensure optimal oxygenation. A big part of breathing properly starts with inhaling through your nose with a full complete exhale out the mouth.

NASAL INHALING

Inhaling through the nose ensures many beneficial things take place within the body. 

  • AIR FILTRATION 
  • HUMIDIFICATION 
  • TEMPERATURE REGULATION 
  • NITRIC OXIDE PRODUCTION 
  • IMPROVED OXYGEN UPTAKE  
  • ENHANCED DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING 
  • SUPPORT OF ORAL HEALTH 

Just as important as breathing through your nose is fully exhaling through your mouth for CO2 removal.  For best results, always inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. 

A silhouette of a person balancing on a tightrope against a dramatic, cloudy sky.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

It’s easy to get caught up in giving to others in life, but you must include taking care of yourself. Though we may not always be able to do grand things for ourselves, we can do simple things daily that improve us and make us more dependable for others. This all starts with a healthy body. We may not always have the time or convenience to eat healthy or exercise, but there are things that we can do for our mind and body that only cost a little effort on our part. Becoming more conscious of your breathing is free and can be done at your convenience, with little requirement.

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