4-minute read time
How you breathe matters more than you might think! Take a moment to inhale, pause, and then exhale. Where did you feel the movement in your body? Was it in your chest and shoulders, your ribcage, or your abdomen? What about the sides and lower back?
Understanding How You Breathe
The location where you feel your breath can tell you a lot about which muscles you’re primarily using.
- Primary Muscles of Inhalation: When you inhale, your diaphragm and intercostal muscles (around your ribcage) should be doing most of the work.
- Exhalation: This is usually a more passive process, with some gentle engagement from your abdominal and intercostal muscles.
As your body needs more oxygen (like during exercise), “accessory muscles” in your chest, neck, back, and abdomen are recruited to help with both inhalation and exhalation. This optimal way of breathing, where the diaphragm is the main player and accessory muscles only jump in when needed, is often called “diaphragmatic breathing.”
A common issue is when people start relying more on their accessory muscles instead of their primary breathing muscles. This is often referred to as “chest breathing.” If you notice most of the movement in your chest and shoulders when you breathe, you might be a chest breather.
Learning Diaphragmatic Breathing
The good news is that you can re-learn diaphragmatic breathing. Here’s how to start:
- Find Your Posture: Sit or stand with a relaxed, upright posture.
- Hand Placement: Place your hands on your lower abdomen, about 1-4 inches below your belly button.
- Inhale and Expand: As you inhale, imagine directing your breath down to your hands. You should feel your abdomen gently pushing against your hands.
- Exhale and Release: As you exhale, notice the pressure on your hands release slightly. Try to prevent your abdomen from sinking in too much.
Think of it like this: Imagine a ball resting on your pelvis. As you inhale, the ball gently expands. As you exhale, the ball deflates a bit but remains round.
If you have trouble feeling this abdominal movement while sitting or standing, try this position:
- Lie on Your Back: Lie down on your back with your knees bent.
- Support Your Neck: If your neck feels tense, place a small pillow or towel under your head to keep your spine neutral.
- Hand Placement (Again): Place your hands on your lower abdomen. In this position, it’s usually easier to feel your abdomen expand with each breath.
The Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing
Like any exercise, mastering diaphragmatic breathing takes practice—your diaphragm is a muscle, after all! Practices like Yoga and Tai Chi are excellent for directly focusing on this type of breathing and exploring its meditative benefits.
Ideally, we should aim to breathe diaphragmatically in all aspects of our lives. This type of breathing not only helps your body take in more oxygen but also:
- Helps you better engage your core muscles.
- Improves your overall movement quality.
Want to Learn More?
If you want to learn more, schedule a personal training session, fitness assessment, or participate in a fitness class at our Senior Activity Center. No matter what you do, don’t forget to breathe!