Are You Breathing The Right Way? Let’s Look at 3 Correct Breathing Exercises and Techniques
Human life is an adventure that passes from the first breath and the last breath. A person breathes hundreds of millions of breaths throughout their life. Breathing is an activity that keeps people alive, affects the whole body, and seems very simple.
We usually breathe without noticing it and overlook that breathing can help us calm down and improve our mood.
It greatly affects your body and its functions in different ways. You may not know this, but without realizing it, you may be affecting or even destroying your sleep, mood, digestion, heart, nervous system, muscles, brain, even the development of your teeth and facial structure.
The Consequences of Incorrect Breathing
Airways works harder
Incorrect breathing makes it difficult for the air you breathe in from the mouth to easily pass into the lungs. As a result, it has to work harder to supply the quality air your body needs. This will cause you to breathe faster.
Blood vessels narrow
The narrowing of the veins can lead to high blood pressure and can force the heart to work harder.
Less energy is produced
Incorrect breathing decreases your body’s ability to transport oxygen to cells. In this situation, the cells are strained and have to prioritize survival rather than growth.
Every process that takes place in the body depends on oxygen.
In other words, without oxygen, all the work in the body is disrupted and the health of the person starts to deteriorate.
Some of our most intensive organs are:
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Brain
The brain that is lacking in oxygen will work slower. Naturally, other organs are also affected by this as the brain regulates many other functions in the body.
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Heart
Your heart is constantly active and beats roughly 100,000 times in a single day. The heart is also a great consumer of oxygen. But a shortage of supply means that the heart cannot pump blood out as effectively as it should.
This situation causes the hands and feet to be constantly cold as the blood circulation in the body is affected badly.
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Muscles
Oxygen deficiency makes the muscles stiff, tense and exhausted. This naturally hurts athletic performance.
Correct Breathing Exercises and Techniques
1. Breathing Technique in 4 Seconds
While breathing irregularly, approximately 15 breaths are taken per minute. The 4-second breathing method includes 4 breaths per minute. It brings the body to a saving position.
How is the 4 seconds breathing technique done?
- Take your breath slowly for 4 seconds
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds
- Then exhale for 4 seconds
- After exhaling, wait 4 seconds and start the stages again
In this breathing method, you breathe every 16 seconds. This method, which provides better quality oxygen exchange, extends the life of the lungs.
Will you breathe in the nose or mouth?
If you are in a dusty or unhygienic environment, where you breathe is very important. The nose; makes the air you breathe suitable for the lungs.
Due to the hairs and folds inside, the air is cleaned. For this reason, nasal breathing is necessary for dusty or unhygienic environments.
If you have an intense exercise program and your heart rate is getting faster, then there is no harm in breathing through the mouth to meet the need for air in the lungs.
2. Which breathing method should you apply in your angry moments?
Angry moments can lead to serious situations by causing a person to make sudden decisions. Anger is often uncontrollable, but there are some measures you can take to quickly calm down and control your anger.
At this stage, you should first focus on your breathing and exhalation. If you notice that you are breathing too fast, take a deep breath through your nose and exhale very slowly through your mouth.
Continue this technique until your breathing becomes regular again.
3. Create Repetitive “Breath Control Triggers”
Choose five naturally occurring triggers to remind you to notice your breathing every day. Formulate these as “if-then…” plans and spread them throughout your day.
Here are a few examples:
- If my alarm clock goes off → Then I’ll check my breath.
- If I put the last dishes in the dishwasher → Then I’ll check my breath.
- If I sit at my desk → Then I’ll control my breath.
- If I close the car door → Then I’ll check my breath.
- If I turn off my bedroom light → Then I’ll check my breathing.
- You can also use reminders like notification notes or phone alarms to remind you. The important thing is to pause your breathing habits several times a day and adjust your breathing.
What benefits do breathing exercises provide?
- Breathing exercises help clean the lungs and respiratory system
- The body system will be balanced and your organs under pressure will relax
- More quality oxygen goes to the lungs. More oxygen-rich air enters and after exhaling, the carbon dioxide output is performed healthier
- It helps you relax by calming the mind
- It regulates the energy flow in your body and helps to eliminate negative energy
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