Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Did your chest puff up as you breathed in? Or did your belly push out as your lungs filled with air? If you answered “yes” to the first question, you’re not breathing the way you should. In fact, about one-third of all adults don’t breathe properly. Most of us access only 10% to 20% of our full breathing capacity, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Belly breathing or chest breathing?

As an infant, you instinctively breathed from your belly. Each time you drew breath, your diaphragm (the sheet-like muscle separating your lungs and abdomen) expanded to accommodate the air. This type of breathing allows for maximum oxygen exchange — the process of bringing fresh air and oxygen into the body when you breathe in and expelling carbon dioxide waste when you breathe out. Belly (or diaphragmatic) breathing is optimal for good health, but many of us somehow forget the proper technique as we grow older.

Instead, adults tend to breathe from the chest, focusing on the lung area. Chest breathing actually constricts the breathing process, limiting the amount of oxygen exchange. If shallow and irregular, chest breathing is often associated with anxiety or fear.

How breathing technique can affect your health

The lymph system — your body’s system for removing waste — can’t pump waste out of the body in the same way that the heart can pump blood. Instead, it relies on the diaphragm to trade “good” air for “bad.” But shallow chest breathing prevents effective oxygen exchange. As you take in less oxygen and expel less carbon dioxide and other waste products, toxins begin to build up inside your body. Long-term symptoms of this condition may include anxiety, panic attacks, depression, muscle tension, headaches, and fatigue. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute calls proper breathing a key factor in overall health and quality of life.

Getting the most from each breath

Along with consistent belly breathing, here are some other habits that can help you breathe better:

• Breathe through your nose. The tiny hairs that line the nostrils help filter out particles of dust and dirt that can be harmful to the lungs. In addition, breathing through your nose helps warm and moisten the air before it reaches your lungs, a major benefit if you have asthma.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Tightness around the abdomen can make it harder for your diaphragm to fully expand and contract with each breath.
• Successfully manage stress. When you’re in a stressful situation, you’re more likely to take shallow, rapid breaths. In its most extreme form, this type of breathing is called hyperventilation. Since hyperventilation reduces oxygen exchange, it can actually result in oxygen deprivation — not the best defense against a stressful day at the office.

Tips to breathe by

• Don’t smoke. Tobacco smoke — both first- or secondhand — damages your lungs.
• Stay away from pollutants, exhaust, gas, fumes, and strong odors. These substances can irritate your airway.
• Avoid busy roads, especially during rush hour, when fast-moving cars kick up road dust. And stay away from underground parking garages. These enclosed areas are often poorly ventilated and may contain high levels of car exhaust fumes.
• Pay attention to the local weather report, especially during the summer, when moist, hot air turns outdoor pollutants into smog. During smog alert days, stay indoors as much as possible.
• When using cleaning products, paint, or varnish, work in an open, well-ventilated area.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 6th, 2007 at 6:18 am and is filed under Healthy Breathing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.