Fitness Starts with Breath

Tips for Better Breathing

I have worked helping people breathe for well over 20 years.

I saw people who had trouble taking a breath.

They often looked scared.

Their shoulders were tight, and they couldn't sit up straight.

They bent over, pushing their belly in.

I would tell them to "take a deep breath" while I gave them breathing treatments.

It seemed silly. Here I was, asking someone who couldn't breathe to calm down and breathe!

At first, the medicine mist would sit there in the tube. It showed how hard they were trying to breathe.

I could see the doubt in their eyes: "How can I take a breath when I can't breathe?"

I got it!

But then, like magic, the mist started to move down the tube. With each better breath, it went deeper into their lungs.

This change - from stuck mist to smooth flow -

was not just the medicine working.

Stopping and taking a focused breath is often the first step to fixing your breathing.

Breathing is complex...

But once we learn how it works, we can have more control over it.

Did you know that more than 12 body tasks happen one after another when you take one breath?

What Happens When We Breathe

Brain Signals:

Parts in your brain stem send signals to your breathing muscles.

A special nerve turns on your main breathing muscle.

The nerves between your ribs tell your rib muscles to move.

Muscle Actions:

Your main breathing muscle flattens and moves down.

Muscles between your ribs pull up and out.

Neck muscles lift your top ribs.

Neck and chest muscles help lift your chest when you breathe deep.

Chest Changes:

Your rib cage gets bigger in three ways.

Your chest gets more space inside.

The space around your lungs has less pressure.

Your lungs get bigger as your chest moves.

Air Movement:

Muscles change how your voice box sits.

Small air tubes open a bit.

Air flows in following the pressure.

Tiny air sacs in your lungs get bigger.

All this happens when you take one deep breath!

What Does This Do to Our Bodies?

Without even knowing it, we have these heart and blood effects:

Blood pressure drops a tiny bit when you breathe in.

More blood flows back to your heart for a moment.

Your heart rate changes a little bit.

Now that we know how much happens when we take a deep, focused breath,

How does this help us stay fit?

We get more oxygen, and we also cut down on stress.

We get our bodies ready to face the big job of working out.

Our breath turns on our body's calm system.

It lowers stress hormones and helps us relax.

Breathe In – Breathe Out

As I've helped patients with their breathing, watching the mist change from stuck to flowing seemed like magic.

I've seen physical therapists do the same magic with their patients.

The change is the same - from tight, unsure moves to smooth, sure ones.

What's the key in both cases?

Focused Breathing.

For instance, could you use this example when standing up from a chair?

Breathe in to get ready, breathe out as you stand up.

This isn't about making the move easier.

It's about building a habit of focused breathing.

I've seen this same breathing pattern used in exercises as in:

• Going upstairs

• Reaching for items on high shelves

• Standing up after kneeling in the garden

The rule stays the same each time: breathe out with effort, and breathe in while you rest.

Once you learn it, this rhythm becomes as natural as those dozen body tasks happening in every breath.

The Art of the Pause.

While learning the rhythm of breathing with movement is key, another vital part of breathing is the art of the pause.

For my patients with lung disease, learning to make their out-breath longer was like learning to play music - it took practice, but the rewards were big.

Think of it like letting all the air out of a balloon slowly

This longer out-breath helps stop air from getting trapped. It makes breathing easier, which makes every task easier, too.

Old Wisdom

The old practice of Tai Chi knows this wisdom well.

Each flowing move matches with the breath, like dancing with the air.

Unsurprisingly, older adults who practice Tai Chi have better balance, feel calmer, and more in control.

But you don't need to do special exercises to start.

Every breath is a chance to practice.

When waiting in line at the store, watching TV, or working in your garden,

take a moment to notice your breath.

Make each out-breath a little longer than your in-breath.

Feel the slight pause at the top of your breath.

As the Chinese thinker Lao Tzu once said,

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is done

Your breath follows this same wisdom - unhurried, steady, and always there to help you.