How to breathe correctly?

Breathing is the most important process of life. Thanks to him, the body is saturated with oxygen – an integral participant in all reactions and processes taking place in it. The ability to breathe is granted from birth, but the overwhelming majority of people, according to physiologists, do not do it quite right.

In other words, oxygen is inhaled only in the quantities necessary to maintain vital activity, and most chemical reactions simply do not take place due to its lack. This leads to exhaustion, poor health, and a reduction in life.

What is breathing?

A vital physiological process that oxygenates organs and cells. And the deeper you inhale, the more oxygen enters the body, and the saturation process occurs faster.

In the process of enriching the body with oxygen, a by-product such as carbon dioxide is released, which is removed through exhalation. Therefore, the more efficiently a person exhales, the faster the elimination of carbon dioxide occurs.

Being an unconditioned (innate) reflex, breathing is not controlled by the brain, but occurs unconsciously. If the amount of carbon dioxide in the body increases, but there is not enough oxygen, then the person begins to breathe faster. This condition is typical for stressful situations and high physical exertion.

Lack of oxygen inhibits all metabolic processes occurring in the body and negatively affects well-being and health. This explains the high interest in correct breathing and the relevance of this topic.

1. diaphragmatic (abdominal);
2. chest (costal);
3. clavicular.

Abdominal breathing is based on the contraction and relaxation of the large muscle of the diaphragm, which separates the thoracic region from the abdominal region. When inhaling, the diaphragm contracts, the air fills the lower region of the lungs, the abdomen inflates, and when exhaling, on the contrary, the muscle relaxes, the abdomen is drawn in.

Rib breathing is carried out due to the contraction of the pectoral muscles and an increase in the bronchi and bronchioles in diameter during “Absorption” of oxygen, their constriction when carbon dioxide is released from the lungs. This type of breathing is most common, but not correct.

Clavicular breathing, which fills only the upper part of the lungs with air, has the least amount of air. Inhalation occurs when raising, and exhaling occurs when collarbones are lowered.

What is correct breathing?

Physiologically correct process, in which involves both the diaphragm and the chest. When these two organs are activated, oxygen fills the lungs to the maximum, and the diaphragm simultaneously “massages” the pancreas, heart sac, kidneys, spleen, lungs and liver.

To breathe correctly is to inhale air not with your mouth, but with your nose. When air enters through the mouth, gas exchange in the body deteriorates. Nasal breathing, on the contrary, activates the work of the diaphragm, saturates the cells with oxygen as much as possible. The device of the nasal cavity is such that all the air passing through it is filtered from viruses, bacteria and dust.

Only diaphragmatic breathing, with the inherent air entering the body through the nasal cavity, is correct and healthy. And, despite the fact that breathing is an unconditioned reflex, everyone can master it. It is especially important for those who are committed to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Breathing during intense training

and the well-being of an athlete directly depend on accelerated metabolic processes that require a large amount of oxygen. If, during intense physical exertion, breathing becomes faster, air enters through the mouth, it means that the body is sorely lacking in oxygen. This is fraught with both a decrease in the effectiveness of training and stress for the whole body, which is accompanied by increased loads on the heart muscle and blood vessels.

This condition is especially dangerous for bodybuilders and is characterized by weakness and loss of strength, and not a feeling of pleasant fatigue after performing traction. And if a person does not know how to breathe correctly, then it is impossible to achieve any significant results both in sports and in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Breathing correctly is essential not only during workouts, but also outside the gym.

The basics of proper breathing

Breathing training is based on on two main principles:

1. the first inhalation is carried out energetically, and the subsequent inhalation and exhalation are carried out smoothly and slowly;
2. the exhalation should always be twice as long as the inhalation.

Along with these rules, there are other recommendations that will allow you to master how to breathe correctly as effectively as possible:

• you need to do it either in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated room;
• you need to start mastering the techniques lying down, you can sit or stand only after you have mastered the exercises well enough;
• you need to train at least twice a day for five minutes;
• The rhythm of breathing should be controlled both during exercise and in everyday life;
• gradually increase the intervals between the breaths, setting the goal of achieving the deepest possible breaths.

Learning to breathe with your belly

An effective technique for mastering the technique of healthy and physiologically correct diaphragmatic breathing for a beginner is to perform the following sequence actions:

1. take a supine position;
2. with bend your knees;
3. put your hands on your stomach;
4. exhale vigorously;
5. take a slow breath, focusing on the navel, making sure that air does not enter the body using the chest, and the diaphragm, when the abdomen rises;
6. exhale smoothly, drawing in the abdomen.

Repeat the exercise at least 6-7 times.

Learning to breathe through the chest

The starting position is similar to the diaphragmatic breathing exercise. The difference is that the hands are placed not on the stomach, but on the chest. Chest breathing training involves making slow inhales and exhales, during which all attention is concentrated on the ribs.

It is recommended to repeat the exercise similar to the previous one 6-7 times.

General recommendations

It is necessary to control breathing constantly, not being limited exclusively to the implementation of the presented techniques. The main goal in mastering correct and healthy breathing is to bring this process to automaticity. From the beginning of classes to the moment when a person, without hesitation and without any control, begins to breathe as deeply as possible, it can take from one to three months.

There are more complex breathing techniques aimed at mastering all types of breathing for inhalation and exhalation. Breathing through the chest, diaphragm and collarbones is a skill for yogis and professional divers at the same time. This proves once again that human possibilities are endless.