Learn what deep breathing training is and how to do it properly to learn how to breathe deeply. All living things need food and breath. A person can live several weeks without food and days without water. However, without oxygen, death will occur within minutes. Moreover, to maintain our health, we need clean air. Given the difficult environmental situation, all people need to learn how to breathe correctly.
Oxygen in the body combines with glucose and provides us with energy. The air exhaled by animals and humans contains carbon dioxide, which is used by plants for life support. If we are deficient in oxygen, we will not be able to maintain activities sufficient even for life. Based on the above, we can conclude that breathing is the most important physiological process, the violation of which will lead to inevitable death.
Every person breathes correctly immediately after birth. However, gradually, for various reasons, most of us lose this ability. Parents are largely to blame for forcing their children to hold back their emotions by not letting them scream. If you restrain emotions, then the muscles tense and breathing is restrained. As a person grows up, a lot of stress is haunted, which, again, leads to holding the breath.
If you care about your health, then you should do deep breathing training. If this is not done, then the body will receive a minimum amount of oxygen, which negatively affects the level of energy supply. There are three types of breathing in total:
- Diaphragmatic or lower thoracic.
- Upper thoracic.
- Abdominal.
Although they are all considered physiological, the abdominal is most effective. Pay attention to how the baby breathes - the chest expands only slightly at the moment of inhalation, and the tummy actively rises. It is this breathing that should be considered correct. The quality of his life largely depends on how correctly a person breathes from the moment of the first breath to the last.
Improper breathing reduces the ability of our body and causes a slowdown in metabolism. Surely you know that this can be one of the reasons for the appearance of excess weight. Shallow breathing is associated by scientists with frequent apathy, high fatigue, anemia and depression. If you notice one of these symptoms, we recommend doing deep breathing training.
It should be remembered that the process of respiration is associated not only with the lungs, because oxygen is necessary for all cellular structures of the body. Another thing is that breathing begins in the lungs, where oxygen enters the bloodstream. There, oxygen molecules combine with red cells, which distribute it throughout the body. Once a minute, each red blood cell is released from oxygen in certain tissues of the body, after which it returns to the lungs.
Our blood contains billions of red cells, and about two and a half more are produced every second. The average life span of an erythrocyte is three months and the process of their renewal never stops. Scientists have proven that improper breathing negatively affects the psycho-emotional state of a person. If you find yourself in a stressful situation, then deep breathing can reduce the stress on the nervous system.
In addition to all of the above, it is also important how you breathe - through your mouth or nose. In the nasal cavity there is a mucous membrane, the task of which is to moisturize and heat the air entering the body. In addition, the mucous membrane acts as a filter and cleans the air from dust and other suspended particles. If you are breathing through your mouth, it’s time to change your habit and learn how deep breathing training is done.
What is proper deep breathing?
We have already talked about the importance of deep breathing training. If there is a need to increase the supply of oxygen to the internal organs, most people try to turn on additional muscles, which increases the load on the entire body. To get more air, you just need to learn how to effectively use the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
Before you talk about the rules for conducting deep breathing training, you should better know about the physiology of the breathing process. The diaphragm is attached to the lumbar spine by means of long muscle fibers. This suggests that the most effective use of the diaphragm is possible only with correct posture and a flexible spinal column.
It should be remembered that the breathing process is influenced by various factors. For example, if you often use a tight belt, it makes it difficult to use the diaphragm. Before you start doing deep breathing training, you should have a clear understanding of the process. We recommend that you take the supine position to solve the problem and place your hands sequentially on your stomach, ribs, and upper chest.
By doing this simple exercise, you will better understand how all movements should be performed correctly. Also, after completing each stage, it is worth resting a little, breathing in the air in your usual way. Gradually, you will learn how to inhale in one wave-like movement and for this you no longer need your hands. Of course, it will be difficult in the first stage, but then you will understand the benefits of deep breathing training.
Deep breathing training: how to do it right?
Get into a supine position with a flat surface, such as the floor. First, you need to release tension from the muscles and spinal column. To do this, it is enough just to lie quietly for a while. Once you feel relaxed, you can begin deep breathing training. Take a more intense breath than usual, and then hold your breath for a second. At this moment, you should feel peace and complete relaxation. Exhale should be slow. It is necessary to ensure that the tongue, throat and face do not strain during training. You should completely focus your attention on the breathing process.
Place your hands on your chest and feel it expand. Moreover, this movement should begin in the area of the lower ribs. The upper chest expands slightly only at the very end of the inhalation. After holding your breath for a couple of seconds, make sure that the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle are relaxed, and the lower back is pressed to the ground. Then exhale deeply.
Once again, I want to warn you that at first, deep breathing training may seem difficult to you, and you may not have enough air. To eliminate potential discomfort, we recommend taking a couple of regular ones after one deep breath. Make sure all your movements are smooth. Gradually, you will get used to deep breathing and realize that deep breathing training was not done in vain. Do not get up immediately after completing all breathing exercises.
If you can already breathe correctly while lying down, move on to the next step. To do this, you need to sit on a hard chair and straighten your back. Remember when we said that deep breathing is only possible with correct posture? It is the sitting position that is ideal for proper breathing. This is due to the fact that in the supine position, the diaphragm is slightly displaced and as a result, the effectiveness of breathing decreases. At the same time, many people at first experience discomfort, since their posture is impaired. We recommend that you solve this problem in parallel. The spinal column is responsible for the work of all internal organs, which indicates the importance of maintaining correct posture.
For now, you need to consider some effective exercises that will help you master deep breathing.
1st exercise
Take a standing position and take a deep, slow breath from your stomach. After that, hold your breath for 16 counts. The exhalation should be slow and continue for 8 seconds. Make sure that the relationship between the duration of inhalation-exhalation and holding the breath is observed.
2nd exercise
Without changing the starting position, take a deep breath, throwing your head back at the same time so that your gaze is directed straight up. Pause for a second and return to the starting position. Moreover, the exhalation should be noisy and you need to clearly pronounce any sound at this moment.
3rd exercise
Take a prone position with your arms along your body. Take a few deep breaths in and out. In doing so, you should feel how your chest expands with each breath. After exhaling, it is necessary to hold your breath and at the same time strain the muscles of the press and buttocks, lifting the shoulder joints and head. In this position, it is necessary to stay for five accounts.
4th exercise
Take a standing position with your feet at the level of your shoulder joints. Hands must be joined in a lock behind the back, pulling them down. As you inhale, lift and straighten your chest, lowering your chin slightly. Exhale through your nose, returning your head to the starting position. Do the exercise for five repetitions and move on to the second part.
The starting position remains unchanged, and as you inhale, lock your arms in front of you, rounding your back, bending the knee joints and slightly tilting the body forward following the movement of the arms. After that, exhale and return to the starting position. The second part of the exercise must also be done five times.
5th exercise
Take a standing position with your feet turned outward so that there is a distance of ten centimeters between them. The palms should be placed on the belt with the thumbs on the stomach, and the rest on the lower back. Breathe in slowly for 12 counts while pulling in your stomach. This is followed by an exhalation with distension of the abdomen. Repeat the exercise five times, constantly focusing on the work of the abdomen.
6th exercise
Get into a sitting position. Use your index finger to close the right nostril in 6 counts. Inhale with your left and hold your breath for 3 counts. Repeat the exercise on the other side. In total, you need to do five repetitions. Then make adjustments to the exercise - inhale the air in one nostril and exhale the other. You should also do 5 repetitions.
There are many different breathing exercises. Particular importance is given to correct breathing in yoga. However, in our country it is quite difficult to find a competent instructor.
For more on deep breathing and its harm to the body, see below:
