Description
We spend our whole lives breathing without thinking much about it, but focusing on your breathing and changing the way you breathe can have health benefits. Breathing exercises are something that you can do in the car, at work, or in the comfort of your home.
Benefits
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- Increases digestion
- Improves posture
- Induces relaxation
- Enhances respiratory system
How to Do It
Try different breathing patterns, for example, try breathing in for five seconds and exhaling for ten. Repeat several times. Then try breathing in for ten seconds and exhaling for five.
Try habits like:
- Box Breathing
- Alternate Nostril Breathing
- IMST Breathing
- Rhythmic Breathing
- Even Swimming in the pool
Why it works
When you inhale, your diaphragm and surrounding muscles contract, causing your lungs to expand and fill with air. When exhaling, this air is forced out of the lungs and the diaphragm relaxes. This affects your autonomic nervous system which is responsible for your bodily functions and therefore contributes to a decrease in the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) that gets released into your body.
Time Commitment
5-10 minutes
Suggested Frequency
Once a day
Time of Day
Morning or when experiencing high stress
Gurus/Celebrities/Doing it
Kate Hudson
Kelly Rutherford
Connie Britton
Tips
- Find a quiet area
- Try lying down
- Use pillows for added comfort
Related Products
Meditation, Focus, Mindfulness
Supporting Studies and Articles
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