Do we really not know how to breathe?
I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t believe I was doing it wrong, especially considering I have more than a couple decades of experience in breathing. Sadly, it was true. I was indeed messing up the most basic human function. About seven years ago, as a newly injured and retired Division I athlete, I began practicing yoga. Through yoga I discovered the power of meditation and you guessed it “breathing correctly”. Pranayama breathing is the centerpiece of most yoga practices. “Prana” meaning breath or life force, is often manipulated in ways during yoga that serve several therapeutic benefits (more so with slower restorative yoga). Before I get into the physiology let’s first discuss how this breathing epidemic has developed over time.
How does this happen, how does one forget how to breathe?
Perhaps our culture (especially within the fitness industry) is partially to blame. Body image can definitely have adverse effects on breathing, hence another great reason sucking in and six pack abs are going out of style. Stress also plays a huge role in our ability to breathe deeply. When we are under stress we may unintentionally constrict our breath or even hold it in all together.
Raise your hand if you have low back pain? *everybody raises hand*
Research suggests there is a major connection between those who suffer from non-specific chronic low back pain and the ability to breathe properly. This relationship becomes a constant cycle—weakened core muscles and therefore the inability to stabilize the trunk (specifically the lumbar spine), which causes a dysfunction of the diaphragm and results in chronic low back pain.
What SHOULD happen when you breathe:
Think of your trunk as a cylinder. At the bottom of the cylinder is your pelvic floor, basically the hip girdle. The middle casing is your core/all the muscles seen and not seen #dadbod. The lid of the cylinder is your diaphragm. Upon normal everyday inspiration (the process of air entering the lungs), the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles contract; the diaphragm moves downward to create more thoracic space and the rib cage expands.
Expiration, the opposite of inspiration, is more passive and does not require energy. The lungs recoil from the elasticity within the lung tissue and the diaphragm along with intercostal muscles relax. This creates a pressure gradient, which causes the air to leave the lungs.
Real Life:
Then there’s the time when you decided to make your big comeback and participate in pick-up basketball and your breathing was definitely not relaxed. This type of forced breathing is known as hyperpnea, which includes several additional muscles and feels like it’s doubling as a core/neck exercise. Or maybe your kids are driving you absolutely insane and you’re doing everything within your power to not totally lose it. This might prompt a shallow breath (chest breathing) in which your diaphragm is not even used because your body is so rigid. The list continues…and it’s all because of STRESS. Stress shows up in multiple forms within our body and affects our breathing in different ways. However, there is such a thing as good stress. For example, stretching is a form of stress, the good kind. A challenging workout or even power yoga in a 105-degree room are both going to fatigue the nervous system in a similar way. So if you’ve been using hot power yoga to “relax”, a better option to reduce stress might be restorative yoga, float therapy OR…
The answer to all our stress problems: BELLY BREATHING!
Another very powerful tool that can reduce stress and restore proper bodily functions, is diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing. At any point in time your body is trying to maintain a state of equilibrium. The Central Nervous System (CNS) which consists of the brain and the spinal cord controls our voluntary actions and functions, aka when you decided to lift the heavy things from the floor.
Our autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is part of the peripheral nervous system, is responsible for the involuntary physiological processes that operate to keep us up and running without any conscious thought required (i.e. heart rate, blinking, digestion, breathing etc.). Depending on how we live our lives the ANS reacts accordingly and fluctuates between it’s two different states: parasympathetic and sympathetic. One system serves as a natural brake and the other a gas pedal. When your body is in a sympathetic state your heart rate cranks up, you start to chest breathe, adrenaline is released, and functions not essential to survival shut down. This sympathetic state is commonly known as fight or flight and can be very helpful when appropriately invoked. The problem arises when everyday events and stresses begin to trigger it and we spend a prolonged amount of time in sympathetic dominance. If the stress response is constantly running it limits the amount of oxygen we take in and suppresses other functions like our immune system. Our parasympathetic state is the physiological brake needed for homeostasis.
So what function can essentially crossover between both CNS and ANS?
Your breath! At the very basic level of explanation the only way for us to tap into our ANS consciously in order to switch our current state is through controlling our breath, specifically deep breathing. Deep breathing allows us to awaken and utilize the diaphragm and encourages a full oxygen exchange. When you inhale, blood is drawn into the lungs, the gas pedal is hit, and your heart rate rises in order to counter the lack of blood in the rest of the body. During exhalation, blood flushes the system, slowing down the heart rate and the brake drive increases. This is known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia and is the sign of a healthy heart.
If you slow down your inhale and focus on the full expansion, pulmonary stretch receptors (SARs) within the lungs become activated. SARs receptor activation causes an inhibitory signal that suppresses the SNS gas drive. When your respiratory rate is slowed down it increases the amount of time focused on the parasympathetic portion of self regulation.
Just to name a few proven benefits, mindful belly breathing can:
Decrease heart rate
Increase oxygen supply to tissues and organs
Reduce anxiety
Stabilize blood pressure.
Increase resilience during stressful times
Increase focus and attention
Reduce stress
For athletes learning to breath deeply can also have several performance benefits. The most important and obvious benefit is the increased oxygen delivery to the muscles for faster energy production and quicker regeneration.
So now that we’re all on the same page and want some big air, here is a simple belly breathing exercise you can begin with:
Find a quiet, dim location where you can comfortably sit or lie down.
I suggest either sitting cross legged on a pillow against the wall or lying down with legs at 90 degrees against the wall or on a chair. The key in any position is to focus on proper alignment of the spine and pelvis. Your breathing is optimal in a position where your spine and pelvis are stacked.
Place one hand on your lower abdomen and one hand on your chest.
Take a few breaths first to observe (nonjudgmentally) which hand moves first. This can indicate what kind type of dominance your body might be in.
Inhale through your nose for a count of four, breathing into your lower abdomen or bottom hand first and your chest second.
Exhale through your nose for a count of six, emptying out your chest first and lower abdomen second.
A helpful visual I like to think about is filling a pitcher of water. As the water is poured in, the bottom portion of the pitcher fills first and then slowly rises up to the top. When you pour out the water the top empties first and the bottom second.
Repeat for ten minutes or longer as many days as you can during the week.
Throughout the exercise continue to observe the changes and sensations you feel as the breath enters and exists the body.
Congratulations. You are on your way to better BREATHING, better HEALTH, with more high quality oxygen.
About the author:
Kelly Roderick is a RYT 500 yoga instructor and strength coach at The Spot Athletics.
References
Martarelli, D., Cocchioni, M., Scuri, S., & Pompei, P. (2011). Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nep169
Anderson, B. E., & Bliven, K. C. H. (2017). The Use of Breathing Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic, Nonspecific Low Back Pain. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 26(5), 452–458. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2015-0199
Emery, A., Lucas, T., Miller, A., Reeves, I., & Ward, A. (n.d.). The Effects of a Brief Meditative Breathing Session on Recovery from Moderate Aerobic Exercise.