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BREATHING

Do you ever stop and take moment to notice how you're breathing? Or in some cases barely breathing? We often find ourselves holding our breath, or taking small, shallow breaths, usually in times of deep concentration or stress. You may wonder why we even have to think about breathing at all, when it is something the body does reflexively, keeping us alive all the time, usually in the background. 🫁

Deep breathing exercises can help to activate the Relaxation Response, which is a physical state of deep rest that can change the physical and emotional responses to stress, including decreases in heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing, metabolism, and muscle tension. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. 😌💆🏻‍♀️

Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of deep breathing technique. The initial focus of attention is on the expansion of the abdomen, sometimes referred to as abdominal or belly breathing. Place one hand on your upper chest, and your other hand on your abdomen, just below your rib cage. Breathe in through your nose, feeling the air flow deeply into your belly. The hand on your chest should remain still; the hand on your stomach should rise. Tighten your abdominals muscles inward as you exhale through pursed lips.

Diaphragmatic breathing also includes the expansion of the rib cage during inhalation. Try placing the edge of the hands along side the rib cage; correct diaphragmatic breathing will elicit a noticeable lateral expansion of the rib cage. Diaphragmatic breathing can be practiced in the supine, prone and standing positions, as these are the functional positions of daily life.

So take a few minutes for yourself to give diaphragmatic breathing a try. Your brain and body will thank you! 🙏🏻

To learn more about breathing, check out my blog "Breathe!"

Breathe. A word I sometimes have to say to myself to remind me, not because I’m not actually breathing, but because I, like many others, often subconsciously tense up and start taking short, shallow breaths when I’m engrossed in a task, concentrating hard, or stressed. In these times of COVID, breathing may be a topic that is more often on the forefront of our minds. You may have or have had COVID, know someone who is currently struggling with it, or are having trouble keeping your breath deep and calm in these times of unprecedented stress.

 

Practicing deep breathing exercises can have a profoundly positive effect on your physical, mental, and emotional health. There are many types of deep breathing exercises that can help relax the body and mind, while at the same time, improve our efficiency of breathing.

 

Pursed lip breathing (PLB) is a technique that we utilize often in the inpatient/hospital setting. I have worked as an inpatient physical therapist at Boston Medical Center sine 2008. I treat a vast range of conditions, and in many, breathing is affected, sometimes significantly. Pursed lip breathing can be used not only in the inpatient setting, but wherever you are. It consists of breathing in through your nose for a 2 count, then exhaling through your mouth with lips pursed for a 4 count. A phrase we often say is, “Smell the roses, and blow out the birthday candles”. You want to prolong both the inhale and the exhale, making your exhale time double your inhale time. You can increase to in for 3, out for 6, etc. PLB can:

  • Decrease heart rate and respiratory rate, helping to calm the body and decrease work of breathing

  • Increase the lungs’ tidal volume, which can help relive shortness of breath and improve exercise tolerance

  • Help open the airways during exhalation to improve gas exchange and increase excretion of volatile acids in the form of carbon dioxide

  • Help regain a sense of control over breathing, while simultaneously increasing relaxation

 

I encourage you to give pursed lip breathing a try as an aid to calm the body & mind, and a tool to improve your daily breathing.

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