Breathing is as simple as inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Breathing is the most fundamental task we do every day, and, when done correctly, it can yield the following benefits:
- Increase our cardiovascular efficiency and strength
- Improve our lifting technique, core stabilization and balance
- Help us manage stress and improve our posture
Yet, this fundamental task is often performed incorrectly because many of us do not know how to effectively use our diaphragm to breathe. So, before you do anything else, take a second to practice the following breathing technique:
- Start from a seated position
- Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest
- Breathe in as deep as you can through your nose
- Try to push the hand on your stomach out first
- The hand on your chest should rise second and only a little bit
- Breathe out fully through your nose
This technique will help us awaken our diaphragm, circulate better oxygen through our body and reap the aforementioned benefits. If you find that your chest rises as much or more than your stomach, then you may be overusing the muscles in your chest to help you breathe. This can lead to tightness in our shoulders, neck and back. Diaphragmatic breathing is a skill, and to help you develop this skill try the above technique for 10 breaths a day until you start to develop the habit of having the stomach rise first and chest second.
Take your time developing this skill. The more proficient you are at rest, the easier the transition will be with breathing during exercise and the more effective your workouts will be. If you find yourself performing this technique with ease, then try doing it from a standing position and balancing on one leg. Here are tips on proper breathing during exercise:
- While weight training: Don’t hold your breath! Always exhale on the exertion or the “hard part” of the exercise. For example, while performing a squat, the exertion would be pushing yourself up from the bottom. On that downward phase of a squat, you should inhale deep through your nose, while on the upward phase of the exercise you should exhale.
- While performing cardiovascular exercise (running, cycling, swimming, etc.): Try to keep your breathing continuous and rhythmic. If you’ve ever felt unsuccessful or fatigued while swimming, most likely you had difficulty keeping your breathing under control. This is why efficient swimmers must master their breathing for every few strokes and be on rhythm. By making your breathing steady and rhythmic, you allow oxygen to be circulated to your working muscles, preventing premature fatigue. Keep your abdomen relaxed and take deep breaths, filling your stomach with air before slowly exhaling.
- While stretching or performing yoga: Slow down your breathing and inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your diaphragm rather than your chest. This will allow your lungs to take in more oxygen and your body to relax, de-stress and move further into your stretch.