Breathing is a natural thing: breathe in, breathe out,
not much to it, right? Well, guess what: there is actually a wrong and right way
to get oxygen into your system through your lungs. Hi viewers and welcome back to Bestie!
Just by breathing incorrectly, you might be messing up your sleep, mood, digestion,
heart and even nervous system. You can correct all of these problems plus be more energetic, have
better health, decreased anxiety and less fear by learning the proper techniques of breathing.
And in today’s video, we will tell you what they are. From breathing silently,
counting your breaths, watching your posture, maintaining a healthy lifestyle to staying
hydrated and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Breathe through the nose: Every breath you take should go in and out through the nose.
You can think of your nose as a little factory that refines and prepares the
air coming in to be used by the body as efficiently as possible.
When you breathe through your mouth, the lungs get a lot more “unfiltered” air that is raw,
cold, dry and full of viruses and bacteria. So, be kind to your lungs and breathe through your nose.
If you feel like your nasal passages are too tight to breathe through, that’s most likely
because you’ve been breathing through your mouth for so long that your nose has adapted.
It usually won’t take more than a couple of days of nose breathing to open up your nostrils again.
Are you a nose or mouth breather? Tell us quickly down below in the comments section!
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle:
Regular exercise keeps your lungs functioning well, and a well-balanced diet can help you stay
active. Avoid large meals and foods that cause bloating to prevent the abdomen from pushing up
and limiting the diaphragm's movement. If you have lung disease, try relaxation exercises to stay
calm and in control to avert hyperventilation. Also pay attention to air quality in your area
and monitor daily levels as irritants, pollution and allergies can affect your breathing.
Breathing out of your nose will be more of a challenge when you are sick
and have nasal congestion, but staying hydrated can help. Hydration helps thin
secretions and helps the mouth and throat add humidity to the air you breathe.
Ask your doctor about over the counter and prescription medications that reduce
nasal congestion and make sure to get your annual flu vaccine.
Build up your stamina: Though it might be hard to exercise while you’re short of breath,
working out is often one of the best things you can do for your heart and lungs. A daily walk
or another type of exercise will strengthen the muscles you use to breathe and make your
body more efficient at using oxygen. Be certain to check with your doctor first.
Breathe silently: Coughing, snoring, sniffling and so on, are suboptimal breaths in disguise.
It’s easy to neglect all these sounds we make, but a breathing pattern that contains
a lot of them puts a considerable strain on the body. The breath loses its rhythm.
Before we sigh or cough we usually take a big breath which leads to irregular breathing.
Snoring means we have to compensate through breathing faster. A lot of us breathe quicker
and louder when we talk. All these noises and talking lead to incorrect breathing.
Breathe with the diaphragm:
The air you breathe in through your nose should go all the way down in your belly. 70–80% of the
inhaling should be done by the diaphragm so that your breathing is nice and deep. This helps your
lungs with the gas exchange because it’s much more efficient in the lower parts of the lungs.
The diaphragm also massages your liver, stomach, and intestines, giving these organs a rhythmical
balance. Your immune system gets the help it needs to get rid of the waste products from the bowels.
The pressure in the chest and belly is decreased, so your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.
The chest becomes more relaxed, and so does the neck and shoulders. As a result,
the likelihood of pain in these areas goes down.
Keep it Simple: Sometimes you may overthink breathing,
but it's important to remember that your body is built for it. Your respiratory systems know
exactly when to tell you to change your depth of breathing, depending on your activity.
Along with the kidneys, the lungs keep the blood's pH in a very tight range to allow
all body functions to occur. There are receptors
in your body that constantly monitor the blood's oxygen and pH levels.
They automatically send signals to your brain to tell you how often and how deep to breathe.
Try not to hold your breath: You may be holding your breath unconsciously, especially when doing
activities such as lifting or even walking. Try to exhale two to three times longer than you inhale,
but don’t force air out. Focus on exhaling during the exertion portion of any movement,
especially when lifting. When you walk, inhale on one step, then exhale on two to three steps.
Count Your Breaths:
You can increase your lung capacity by increasing the length of your inhalations and exhalations.
Start by counting how long a natural breath takes. If it takes to the count of five to
inhale it should take to the count of five to exhale. You'll want them to be of equal length.
Once you've discovered the count for your average breath,
add one more count to each inhale and exhale. Do this until you can
comfortably extend the length of time it takes to fill and empty your lungs. The point is to
avoid straining or being uncomfortable. It should be a gradual and easy process.
Watch your posture: Since the lungs are soft structures, they only take up the room that you
make for them. You want to occasionally sit tall and reach overhead, to make more room for them.
A simple technique for giving your lungs even more room is leaning back slightly in a stable chair,
lifting the chest and opening the front of your body as you breathe deeply.
Bad posture can lead to a lot of problems, back pain being one the main ones. You can
manage it by doing the correct exercises. To know which ones are the best for it,
watch this video titled “8 Safe and Effective Exercises for Lower Back Pain”
Now, back to tips that will take your breathing to the next level.
Practice Simple Deep Breathing:
Deep breathing can help you get closer to reaching your lungs' full capacity. As you slowly inhale,
consciously expand your belly with awareness of lowering the diaphragm. Next expand your ribs,
allowing the floating ribs to open like wings. Finally, allow the upper chest to expand and lift.
After this, exhale as completely as possible by letting the chest
fall. Then contract the ribs and, finally, bring the stomach muscles in
and up to lift the diaphragm and expel the last bit of air.
Breathe rhythmically: Everything has a natural rhythm — the ocean waves, the seasons, the moon.
Your body is no different. The rhythm of your heart is measured in EKG and the brain in EEG.
The hormones in the body follow our natural rhythm.
One example is melatonin that is released when you’re going to sleep.
Optimal breathing is no different: When everything is in tune, your body functions at it’s very best.
Protect Yourself from Pollution: Air pollution is taxing on even healthy lungs, though people with
lung problems are especially susceptible. Pollutants in the air can build up in the
lungs and cause the lungs to lose function. The more pollution the body is exposed to,
the harder it is to clear the junk out of the lungs. For people with asthma or COPD, heavy
air pollution can cause coughing and wheezing and contribute to cardiovascular problems.
Over time, people with healthy lungs can develop the same problems.
It can be difficult to avoid pollution without moving to another city.
But exposure can be reduced by minimizing time in the car and reducing outdoor activities on
days when the air is bad. Exercise indoors when necessary and live away from highways if possible.
Breathe relaxed: No matter what you want to do, you’ll do it better if you’re relaxed.
Since your breathing reflects your thoughts and feelings, situations that make you feel tense
also lead to tense and stressed breathing patterns. That way of breathing then leads
to a lack of oxygen which, in turn, makes your body and brain even more stressed.
By taking control of your breathing and making it more relaxed,
your body ”tunes in” and becomes relaxed as well, which leads to better functioning in
general. When your body is relaxed, your health is good, and your energy is high,
it becomes easier to be happy and loving toward yourself and others.
Analyze Your Breathing Habits: To change something, you first need to become aware of
what needs to be changed. So, pay attention to how you breathe in these different situations.
What’s your breath like at different times throughout the day?
How does it change as your mental state changes?
How do you breathe when you’re focused? Angry? Stressed? Driving? Watching TV? And so on.
Try to figure out when your breathing patterns are suboptimal and why it happens.
Stay hydrated: Getting enough water is as important for the lungs as it is for the
rest of the body. Staying well hydrated by taking in fluids throughout the day helps
keep the mucosal linings in the lungs thin. This thinner lining helps the lungs function better.
While these tips will definitely help you breathe better, one of the most important things needed to
keep your breathing efficient is, well you guessed it right, a healthy pair of lungs. Know more by:
Watching: 19 Foods That Improve Unhealthy Lungs And Help You Breathe Easy
Or
Learning about the Warning Signs That Your Lungs Are Gasping For Help
These 2 videos will definitely get your lungs back to the glory days and have you breathing easy
What breathing mistakes have you been making on a daily basis?
Let us know in the comments section below!