Numerous experiments have already unequivocally proven that diaphragmatic breathing contributes to blood oxygenation and overall he alth of the body. However, few people know how to breathe from the diaphragm in order to do it correctly and lead to the desired results, so they are advised to carefully read the recommendations for proper breathing from leading experts.
Diaphragmatic breathing
Before we begin to understand how to breathe correctly with the diaphragm, let's find out how this process works. It turns out that when we breathe in this way, we use the abdominal muscles that separate the abdominal cavity and chest. When we inhale, the diaphragm goes down, begins to put pressure on the internal organs located in the lower abdomen, and a large amount of air is drawn into the lungs, which is due to the pressure difference. When we exhale, the diaphragm rises, returns to its original position, and the recycled air is pushed out. At first glance, the breathing process is similarthe way we always breathe, that is, chest breathing, but only this time the amount of inhaled and exhaled air is several times greater, and the diaphragm acts as a second heart. And all because during inhalation and exhalation, this organ accelerates blood through our body with much more force than our heart does.
Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing
Before we start learning how to learn to breathe with the diaphragm, let's figure out why you need it at all. So, according to doctors, people who constantly resort to diaphragmatic breathing experience:
- improve the condition of blood vessels;
- Improve the condition of the abdominal organs and lungs due to pulmonary massage;
- cleansing the smoker's lungs;
- getting rid of shortness of breath;
- getting rid of problems with the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
- eliminate bloating, excessive peristalsis and constipation;
- improve the functioning of the kidneys, gallbladder and pancreas;
- gradual weight loss;
- increase in lung capacity by about 25%;
- elimination of problems with potency and the causes of prostate adenoma;
- lower blood pressure;
- normalization of the nervous system.
Get rid of chest breathing
In fact, a person always breathes with the diaphragm, because this organ takes the most direct part in the process of breathing. However, when we inhale and exhale, thisThe chest muscles are also involved in the process, and those people who use them the most, before figuring out how to breathe correctly with the diaphragm or abdomen, should wean themselves from chest breathing. To do this, it is recommended that you perform three specific exercises that you need to do until you can repeat them correctly, without the slightest strain.
- You should lie on your back, put your left hand on the top of your stomach, and your right hand on your chest, and then take a calm breath so that the upper abdomen swells and the chest remains motionless.
- You should lie on your side and start breathing with your stomach, which will happen almost spontaneously, because in this position it is problematic to breathe from the chest.
- You should sit down, relax your neck and shoulders, and then take a deep breath and exhale, trying to relax the pectoral muscles and begin to breathe in the stomach.
Rules for performing exercises that teach diaphragmatic breathing
Before we start the exercises that will allow us to learn how to breathe with the diaphragm, there are a few rules for their implementation, which, judging by the reviews, allow you to get the most out of training.
- Before you start training, it is better to consult your doctor, as these exercises are contraindicated for those who suffer from hypertension, because during exercise there is an increased effect on the lungs and heart, which can provoke an attack.
- Because overweight people have a hard timeimmediately relax your muscles during training, before doing exercises, they must learn to relax.
- The best time to do the exercise is early morning or late evening.
- It is very important to choose a quiet place for training where no one will distract you and you can fully focus on yourself.
- First, you should train once a day for 30 minutes.
- Further on, perform specific exercises three to four times a day for 10 minutes.
- Don't be afraid if after the first sessions you feel pain in the diaphragm area, because after a couple of days of training it will completely disappear.
Learning to breathe with the diaphragm or belly
When you managed to get rid of chest breathing and remembered the rules for doing exercises with which you can learn to breathe with your stomach or diaphragm, you can start a simple workout that will last for a couple of weeks. Judging by the reviews, during this time everyone will be able to learn proper breathing, in order to then proceed to more complex workouts that will bring even more benefits to the body.
- Lie on your back on a fitness mat, put a pillow or towel under your head, bend your knees and try to relax as much as possible.
- Close your eyes, focus on all your muscles and watch them relax as soon as you exhale.
- Hands should be placed onchest and stomach to feel how you breathe, which will help correct breathing during exercise, if you suddenly feel that your chest is not moving during the exercise.
- The air should be inhaled through the nose very slowly, trying to saturate the lungs with oxygen as much as possible and making sure that the stomach is very swollen.
- Exhale air through the mouth, doing it twice as slowly as the perfect breath, making sure that the stomach is pulled inward as much as possible.
Seated Workouts
Now that you know what it means to breathe from the diaphragm when you lie down, you can start working out in a sitting position, which you can do at any time convenient for you, when you are sitting in a chair or on a chair.
To do this, sit on a chair, straighten your back, look straight ahead, and then close your eyes. After that, you need to completely relax and begin the exercise, alternating a slow breath and an even slower exhale. It is best to put your hands on your stomach, so that you can then feel how it rounds when you inhale, and when you exhale, it deflates. Naturally, the chest should not take any part in the exercise.
Exercise "Dog"
You can also improve your knowledge of how to breathe with the diaphragm, with an exercise called "Dog", which, judging by the reviews of experts, allows you to learn how to feel the work of this organ and control the work of the lungs. The main thing is notdo it for a very long time, because otherwise, judging by the reviews of people working on a similar technique, you may feel very dizzy.
To perform this exercise, you will need to get on all fours, assuming the pose of a dog, and try to relax your abdominal muscles as much as possible. And then you just need to breathe very often and quickly, inhaling and exhaling air through your mouth. Judging by the reviews, the optimal time to complete the exercise would be 3-5 minutes.
Exercise with a book
And for a full understanding of how to breathe with the diaphragm, experts recommend training with a load, the role of which can be played by an ordinary thick-bound book. Such an activity will help you learn to fully and completely control each intake of air into the body and each of its removal from there, because in this case the oxygen saturation of the body occurs at the slowest pace, which brings maximum benefit to a person.
To perform this exercise, you should lie down on a mat, put a roller under your head, relax and put a book on your stomach. Then you will need to slowly inhale and exhale, carefully watching the book, which should move in the "up and down" direction.
Reduce the volume of inhaled and exhaled air
After performing specific exercises that allow you to learn diaphragmatic breathing, you can begin training that will reduce the amount of inhaled and exhaled air. The fact is that in training exercises we constantly control ourselves while inhaling and exhaling,trying to do it slowly, so that in ordinary life, when we stop taking care of ourselves, many then begin to breathe again from the chest. To prevent this from happening, experts advise training to reduce the volume of inhalation and exhalation.
To do this, you need to take a comfortable position, completely relax, and then you can inhale and exhale air through your nose, but do this not slowly, but quickly. At first, you will feel that only your chest is moving, but after a while the diaphragm will come into play and then, after a few weeks of training, you will already completely switch to diaphragmatic breathing.
How to breathe with the diaphragm for weight loss
Many nutritionists recommend their clients to learn diaphragmatic breathing to lose weight, and judging by the feedback of these people, as soon as they began to breathe using the diaphragm or stomach, they really began to lose weight faster. They performed the following exercises for weight loss:
- breath in while mentally counting to four, then hold our breath while counting to four, and exhale counting to four again (repeat 10 times);
- draw in the stomach, tighten its muscles and take a deep breath, then tightly squeeze the lips and start jerking the air out through them, then exhale completely and relax the abdominal muscles (repeat 15 times);
- take a sitting position, straighten your back, with your feet firmly resting on the floor and begin to breathe in your stomach, alternately tensing and relaxing the muscles of the press (repeat first 10, and after a while and 40 times);
- lay down on the floorwe bend our knees, put the left hand on the chest, the right hand on the stomach, we begin to alternately inhale, simultaneously pulling in the stomach and pressing on it, and exhale, inflating the stomach and pressing on the chest (repeat 15 times).
These simple exercises can help you lose weight and learn how to breathe properly.
