5 Breathing techniques to help love your lungs

Breathing exercises are a form of exercise that can be used for a variety of health-related reasons. Breathing exercises can help to:

Strengthen and improve respiratory muscles and their function
Improve ventilation for breathing-related diseases
Reduce stress and manage anxiety symptoms
Help you to relax
Reduce your heart rate and blood pressure

There are a number of different breathing techniques you can try to help you to get these benefits.

1. Deep Breathing

Deep breathing helps to relieve shortness of breath by preventing air from getting trapped in the lungs and helps inhalation of more fresh air to the base of your lungs.

Technique:

While standing or sitting, draw your elbows back slightly to allow your chest to expand.
Take a deep inhalation through the nose.
Retain your breath for a count of 5.
Slowly release your breath by exhaling through the nose

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of breathing exercise that helps strengthen the diaphragm, an important muscle that helps with breathing, as it represents 80% of breathing. Diaphragmatic exercises help to make people feel relaxed and rested.

This breathing exercise is also sometimes called belly breathing or abdominal breathing, This is a popular technique in yoga and pilates. For this technique, you want to

Sit or lie in a comfortable position
Place your hand on your stomach
When you breathe in, breathe from your belly and feel your stomach will rise and fall
Again, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth

3. Pursed Lips Breathing

Pursed-lip breathing is a breathing technique that consists of exhaling through tightly pressed (pursed) lips and inhaling through the nose with the mouth closed. It is a simple breathing technique that helps with taking deep breaths slower and with more intention. This technique has been found to benefit people who have anxiety-associated lung conditions eg emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

4. Box Breathing

Box breathing can be helpful with relaxation and can be implemented before, during, and/or after stressful experiences. Box breathing involves visualising a journey around the four sides of a square, pausing while travelling horizontally and breathing in while travelling up the square and out while travelling down it.

Step One: Breathe in through the nose for a count of 4.
Step Two: Hold the breath for a count of 4.
Step Three: Breath out for a count of 4.
Step Four: Hold the breath for a count of 4.
Repeat

5. Mindful Breathing

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and bringing attention to the present without allowing your mind to drift off to the past or future.

A calming focus is chosen, including a sound (“om”), positive word (“peace”), or phrase (“breathe in calm, breathe out tension”) to repeat silently as the patient inhales or exhales.
The mind and body then let go and relax.
When a patient notices the mind has drifted, they take a deep breath and gently return attention to the present.

If you need more information about or help with any breathing exercises you simply call 07870 569 929 or book online at myphysioathome.co.uk

Source: https://www.physio-pedia.com/