Breathing… everyone knows how to do it right, right? Wrong! While we can all breath with some competence (obviously, you’re alive and reading this), chances are you could be doing it better.
Effective breathing is how your body maintains its metabolism and delivers oxygen to working tissues in your body.
Some of the most energy intensive tissues include:
– Your brain – it uses roughly 20% of the oxygen you take in, so if it’s not working at capacity,
chances are many of the functions it is responsible for aren’t either
– Your heart
– Your skeletal muscle
The way you breathe also has the capacity to affect other things such as your energy levels and sleep, your nervous system, and stress and tension.
How can we make sure we’re breathing properly? If you’re breathing optimally, you should be able to:
– Breathe through the nose
– Breathe with the diaphragm
– Stay relaxed
– Breathe rhythmically
– Breathe silently
So how can you improve?
Below is a simple breathing technique you can use to improve your standards.
Equal time breathing in and breathing out
1. The goal of this exercise is to match how long you breathe in with how long you breathe out. Over time, you will increase how long you’re able to breathe in and out.
2. Sit comfortably on the floor or in a chair
3. Breathe in through your nose. As you do it, count to five
4. Breathe out through your nose to the count of five
5. Repeat several times
6. Try to make sure you are breathing gently, breathing right down into your stomach, ensuring that your ribs are expanding as you go
It can be useful to set reminders for yourself to check your breathing over the course of the day. For example, every time you stop at a red light, sit down at your desk, or finish cleaning your teeth. You can’t change it unless you’re aware of it!
Occasionally, your breathing can be affected by tightness or restriction through your ribcage or back. Ask your Osteopath at your next appointment if you have any questions about how to improve your breathing!
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This post was written by Dr Jemimah Nicholson.
You can find out more about Jemimah here or book an appointment with her here.
Alternatively, you can call the clinic on 03 9908 2844.
