Did you know we use our muscles to breathe? I mean we don’t really have to think about using them, but our muscles are working to pull air into our lungs and push air out. Several muscle groups surrounding our chest and core are all contracting and relaxing in beautiful synchrony to allow breath in and out of our lungs. Pretty cool stuff. But sometimes we are not breathing the “right” way. We might hold our breath or take small shallow breaths without even noticing we are doing it. And these little breath changes can have big impact on our body.
Why Breathing The Right Way Matters
The main muscle we use for breath is our diaphragm. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that lies just below the lungs. It contracts and relaxes rhythmically, and normally subconsciously. But often, due to physical changes (such as pregnancy), posture, stress, or other factors we stop breathing deep into our diaphragm. Instead we might start chest breathing using the accessory respiratory muscles of our chest and neck. No bueno.
Breathing deep into the diaphragm helps with proper physical function, especially core stability and health. The diaphragm is one of the deep core muscles contracts and relaxes in harmony with the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis (core), and multifidi muscles. Read my Pop Can Core post to learn how the diaphragm is connected to our other deep core muscles.
How To Breath the Right Way
Ok, so how do you make sure you are breathing the “right way”? First let’s visualize the diaphragm. Like I mentioned earlier, the diaphragm is a muscle that sits just under the lungs at the bottom of the rib cage. When we inhale the diaphragm contracts downward creating a vacuum that allows air to be pulled into the lungs. We we exhale the diaphragm relaxes and rises back up to force air out of lungs.
Unfortunately due to any of the aforementioned reasons, sometimes we stop breathing deeply into our diaphragm. Instead our breath stays “shallow” and we no longer allow the diaphragm to contract all the way down. Just like with any muscle when it’s not contracting and relaxing appropriately problems tend to arise. So let’s make sure we are fully activating our diaphragm by following this exercise below.
Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise (belly breath):
Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees flexed and your hands on your stomach near lower ribs.
Step 2: Take a deep breath in through your nose. Feel your belly and lower ribs expand out into your hands. The diaphragm is contracting downwards.
Step 3: Slowly let the breath out through pursued lips (like you are blowing out a candle). As you blow out feel your a deep abdominal muscles (your TA) activate and your belly contracts inward. The diaphragm relaxes upward.
Repeat for 5-10 breaths.
Laying down is the best way to stay relaxed and really tune into your breath and muscle activation but this can be done in any position including sitting or standing.
Benefits of Proper Breathing
There are numerous benefits to breathing the right way. Some of the main benefits include:
- Improves core muscle stability
- Improves exercise tolerance
- Promotes relaxation/reduces stress
- Lowers heart rate/blood pressure
- Less work of breathing
- Improved oxygenation to the body
Practicing Your Diaphragmatic Breathing
There are several other parts of the body that dictate how you breath. Your rib mobility, posture, chest wall flexibility, and core strength can all play a roll. And when you are not breathing properly one or more of these elements may be negatively affected. Improper breathing patterns can be related to neck pain, shoulder pain, low back and incontinence.
So once you nail down the diaphragmatic breathing exercise described above try working on your belly breath during other daily activities or exercise. Some other ways to work on your breathing include:
- Try belly breathing while sitting at your desk. Assume an upright posture and practice breathing deep into your belly. As you slowly exhale, activate your abdominal muscles.
- Work on deep diaphragmatic breathing during core stability exercises. Blowing out is a great way to activate your deep transverse abdominis muscle.
- Practice diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor contractions. As the diaphragm contracts downward on an inhale the pelvic floor also lengthens downward. During the exhale the diaphragm relaxes upwards and the pelvic floor muscles should also contract or stretch back upwards.
- Try diaphragmatic breathing while on your hands and knees, sitting on an exercise ball, or while laying on your side. Every position will work the muscles in a slightly different way so it’s good to mix it up.
What’s Next?
Proper breath technique is one of the main building blocks for proper body function. But besides helping with your deep core activation good diaphragmatic breathing can be calming and relaxing. Personally I love some good belly breathing after a hectic day with my kids. Keep following along for more helpful hints for taking care of your body. Follow me on Instagram @movinglikeamother for quick tips and tricks.
Keep calm and breath on.
-Monica
