Breathe Better, Live Better

Howdy! Welcome back to another edition of your weekly buzz. Stressed out and don’t know what to do? In today’s newsletter, we go through the nature of breathing, how it affects us, and how to properly breathe.

The nature of breathing:

The act of breathing is the physiological process of supplying oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from our bodies. This cycle ensures a healthy supply of oxygen, that powers our cells, tissues, and organs, sustaining life itself. Talking about breathing in itself may seem mundane but in reality, it’s an extraordinary thing. It’s unique among other brain and bodily functions, as we can simply control how we breathe whenever we want. Otherwise, it carries on without us continuously thinking about it. This is extremely unusual in our bodies. For example, We cannot simply take control of our digestive system. It will function in the background regardless of what we want it to do.

How does breathing affect us:

Beyond its physiological significance, controlled and mindful breathing practices have also been shown to positively impact our overall well-being, reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and enhancing mental focus.

Physical effects:

1. A study published concluded that the decline of the cardiac component of blood pressure amplitude during slow breathing may serve as a cardiovascular protective mechanism, helping to prevent organ damage.

2. Respiratory muscle training can greatly increase athletic performance. If trained consistently, participants of the study found that they had reduced sensations of fatigue at the ends of workouts.

3. Proper breathing also promotes overall respiratory health. It can aid in reducing the chances of illness and also helps with the clearing of mucus and other contaminants from our airways, protecting us from infection.

Mental affects: 

1. To promote relaxation, we must slow our heart rate and stimulate the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is connected to our “rest and digest” control center also known as the parasympathetic nervous system. In order to slow everything down, all you need to do is simply breathe a little slower.

2. Proper breathing can also promote better cognitive function. By providing our brains with enough oxygen, we can improve our alertness, focus, and overall mental clarity.

3. Along with the previous two benefits, stress, and anxiety can be diminished through various breathing exercises. These exercises can promote mindful and present-moment awareness.

How to properly breathe?

• Reducing stress: A common technique called the “physiological sigh” has been proven to help reduce stress. It’s a double inhale followed by a long exhale. The first inhale should be a long one followed by a short second one. Simply doing just 2-3 of these can bring your levels of stress down significantly. (Click here for a video that goes more in-depth)

• Running: Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist at Stanford University and has suggested utilizing another form of the double inhale technique for running as well. However, the inhales are 2 quick ones followed by a longer exhale. This will help get you into a nice cadence of heart rate variability. (Video here)

When it comes to breathing in your everyday life, use your nose and belly. Breathing through the nose will slow your breath down and allows your lungs to work more efficiently. As you bring air down into your belly, your diaphragm expands and your belly expands to fill your lungs with air. By breathing through your belly, you are bringing your lungs downward, helping create negative pressure inside the chest.