What is the diaphragm?

The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle for breathing. It’s a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of your lungs. Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs.

What is diaphragmatic breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing helps you use your diaphragm correctly while breathing to:

• Strengthen the diaphragm.

• Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate.

• Decrease oxygen demand.

• Use less effort and energy to breathe.

During diaphragmatic breathing, you consciously use your diaphragm to take deep breaths. When you breathe normally, you don’t use your lungs to their full capacity. Diaphragmatic breathing allows you to use your lungs at 100% capacity to increase lung efficiency.

What are other names for diaphragmatic breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing is also known as:

• Abdominal breathing.

• Belly breathing.

What are the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing offers several benefits to your body including:

• Helping you relax.

• Improving muscle function during exercises and preventing strain.

• Increasing how much oxygen is in your blood.

• Making it easier for your body to release gas waste from your lungs.

• Reducing blood pressure.

• Reducing heart rate.

What conditions does diaphragmatic breathing help improve?

Diaphragmatic breathing can help several conditions that cause symptoms that affect how you breathe including:

• Anxiety.

• Asthma.

• COPD.

• Stress.

Benefits of Deep, Slow Breathing

Mindful breathing practices such as 5-7-8 breathing can produce what Harvard cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson called the relaxation response. You have a natural stress response that's designed to help you deal with dangerous situations. This fight-or-flight response can help you survive but can take a toll on your health when it's overused for everyday stresses. This stress response suppresses your immune system and can cause other health problems, including high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. The relaxation response interrupts this stress response with a profound sense of rest. Other benefits may include:

Reduced anxiety. A study of college students showed that practicing pranayama reduced test anxiety in students. Another study of senior citizens showed decreased anxiety after two months of deep breathing exercises.

Lower blood pressure. Slow deep breathing for five minutes has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate in people who practice it.

Improved sleep. One of the negative side effects of stress can be trouble sleeping. It can be almost impossible to fall asleep when your body is caught up in the stress response. Practicing deep, slow breathing techniques such as 5-7-8 breathing can trigger your body's relaxation response and help you get to sleep.

Less pain. A study of 16 healthy people found that those who practiced relaxed deep breathing experienced less pain than those who practiced deep breathing that required a lot of sustained attention. Both groups experienced less tension, anger, and depression.

Improved concentration. A 2017 study examined the effect of eight weeks of deep, slow, abdominal breathing on attention, emotions, and stress levels. After training, the people in the deep breathing group performed better on tests of attention and had fewer negative emotions.

Uses of 5-7-8 Breathing

The primary use of this breathing technique is to lower your stress response over time. This means practicing daily to notice an improvement in the long term. However, 5-7-8 breathing can also help keep you calm in a variety of stressful situations. You can use it to alleviate symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Below are some specific situations in which you might find this 5-7-8 breathing helpful.

• At work, when experiencing stress

• While driving in traffic or commuting to work each day

• Before giving a speech or presentation at school or work

• During an exam period at university/college

• At night when trying to fall asleep

• First thing in the morning, when you wake up

• When experiencing pre-class nerves in university/college

• If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed

• When practicing other relaxation exercises (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery)

• When doing yoga or tai chi

• When practicing mindfulness meditation

Did you know that most humans automatically revert to shallow breathing when they’re stressed?

We don’t even realize it. Regular shallow breathing causes panic attacks, dry mouth, respiratory problems, tension in many areas of the body, and can be a precursor to cardiovascular problems. There are more reasons than one to learn different breathing techniques!

Humming Bee Breath is a unique yoga breathing technique that involves using sound on the exhalation.

The sound and vibration of this type of breath, also known as Bhramari pranayama, soothes the tired, anxious, stressed out mind, releases tension, and allows the body to relax.

Something you probably don’t know? The buzzing sound you make while practicing humming bee breath releases nitric oxide (NO). NO is produced in the paranasal sinuses and is inhaled when you breathe. It causes dilatation of your blood vessels, which increases how much oxygen your lungs take in internally.

Humming bee breath increases nitric oxide production 15 times that of what your body normally produces!

Humming Breath Benefits:

• Reduced blood pressure

• Decreased anger and agitation

• Elimination of anxiety

• Relaxation of the central nervous system

• Reduced inflammation in the body

• Regulation of the metabolism

• Boosted immunity (NO kills viruses and bacteria)

• Regulation of hormones

Studies have also revealed that humming bee breath can prevent and even assist with recovery from respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19!

What is pursed lip breathing?

Pursed lip breathing is one of the simplest ways to control shortness of breath. It provides a quick and easy way to slow your breathing pace, making each breath more effective. It also helps you get more oxygen into your lungs.

Who is the best candidate to use pursed lip breathing?

Anyone can benefit from learning how to control their breath. However, pursed lip breathing is very beneficial if you have a pulmonary (lung) condition that affects how well you breathe. These conditions include:

• Asthma.

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

• Pulmonary fibrosis.

Why is pursed lip breathing done?

Pursed lip breathing:

• Improves ventilation.

• Releases trapped air in your lungs.

• Keeps your airways open longer and decreases your effort to breathe.

• Prolongs breathing out to slow your breathing rate.

• Improves breathing patterns by moving old air out of your lungs and allowing new air to enter.

• Relieves shortness of breath.

• Causes general relaxation.

Why does pursed lip breathing help COPD?

Pursed lip breathing helps bring more oxygen into your lungs and take more carbon dioxide out of your lungs. Your airways stay open longer, which helps clear out stale air from your lungs and airways. Your breath rate should slow down as you start to relax.

When should I use pursed lip breathing?

Use pursed lip breathing during the difficult part of any physical activity. These activities may include:

• Bending.

• Lifting.

• Walking.

• Climbing stairs.

• Exercising.

However, it’s also a good idea to practice pursed lip breathing at rest or during stress-free moments until the act becomes natural. These situations may include:

• Reading.

• Sitting at a desk.

• Watching television.

• Waiting in line.