How to breathe with your chest. Proper diaphragmatic breathing - how to learn to breathe correctly? Breath holding exercise

Breathing is the basis of our life and an unconditioned reflex. Therefore, we are used to not thinking about how we do it. And in vain - many of us breathe not quite right.

Do we always breathe through both nostrils?

Few people know that a person breathes most often through only one nostril - this is due to a change in nasal cycles. One of the nostrils is the main one, and the other is additional, and then the right one then the left one plays the role of the leader. The change of the leading nostril occurs every 4 hours, and during the nasal cycle, the blood vessels constrict at the leading nostril, and dilate in the additional one, increasing or decreasing the lumen through which air passes into the nasopharynx.

How to breathe correctly

Most people breathe incorrectly. In order to teach your body to breathe in the most optimal way, you need to remember how we all breathed in childhood - when breathing through the nose top part our belly fell and rose steadily, and the chest remained motionless.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the most optimal and natural for a person, but gradually, growing up, people spoil their posture, which affects the correctness of breathing, and the muscles of the diaphragm begin to move incorrectly, squeezing and limiting the lungs.

To learn how to breathe chest, and with your stomach, you can try a simple exercise: sit or stand as straight as possible, put your hand on your stomach and breathe, controlling its movement. In this case, the second hand can be placed on the chest and see if it moves. Breathing should be deep and carried out only through the nose.

Today we know about the disease of our time - computer apnea, which occurs due to improper breathing. According to scientists, up to 80% of people using computers can suffer from it. While working at a computer, a person can involuntarily hold his breath, concentrating on the details that are important to him. At the same time, some people feel a little dizzy - these are the first signs of apnea. Restricted breathing during concentrated work causes an accelerated heart rate, dilated pupils and can lead to obesity and even diabetes. Doctors recommend monitoring your breathing while working at the computer.

How long can you not breathe?

It is generally accepted that a person can do without air for 5 to 7 minutes - then irreversible changes occur in the brain cells without oxygen supply, leading to death. However, to date, the world record for holding your breath under water - static apnea - is 22 minutes 30 seconds, and was set by Goran Colak.

In total, there are only four people in the world who are able to hold their breath for longer than 20 minutes, and all of them are former record holders. Such a discipline is deadly, and in order to retain air for more than 5 minutes, athletes need years of training. To fight the urge to breathe in, they try to increase their lung capacity by 20%.

This sport requires maximum dedication: record holders train motionless and dynamic breath holding twice a week, follow a special diet high in vegetables, fruits and fish oil. It is also necessary to train in pressure chambers so that the body gets used to the existence without a sufficient amount of oxygen - oxygen starvation, similar to what climbers experience in rarefied air at high altitudes.

Unprepared people are highly discouraged from trying to hold their breath for a long time or get into conditions of oxygen starvation. The fact is that the body needs about 250 milliliters of oxygen per minute at rest, and when physical activity this number is multiplied by 10.

Without the transfer of oxygen from the air to the blood, which takes place in our lungs with the help of the alveoli in contact with the blood capillaries, the brain will cease to function normally in five minutes due to the death of nerve cells. The problem is that when you hold your breath, the oxygen that turns into CO2 has nowhere to go. The gas begins to circulate through the veins, telling the brain to inhale, and for the body this is accompanied by a burning sensation in the lungs and spasms of the diaphragm.

Why do people snore?

Each of us has experienced a situation where another person prevented us from falling asleep with their snoring. Sometimes snoring can reach 112 decibels, which is louder than the sound of a tractor or even an airplane engine. However, snorers are awakened by a loud sound.

Why is this happening? When people sleep, their muscles automatically relax. The same often happens with the tongue and the soft palate, as a result of which the passage of the inhaled air is partially blocked. As a result, there is a vibration of the soft tissues of the palate, accompanied by a loud sound.

Also, snoring can occur due to swelling of the muscles of the larynx, leading to a narrowing of the larynx and air passage. Snoring can occur due to the structural features of the nasal septum, for example, curvature, as well as due to diseases of the nasopharynx - enlarged tonsils, polyps and colds, or allergies. All these phenomena somehow lead to a narrowing of the lumen used for air intake. Also at risk are overweight people and smokers.

Diseases and bad habits can cause not only unpleasant snoring for others, but also serious illnesses. Recently, the harmful effects of snoring on the brain have been discovered: scientists have found that since less oxygen enters the brain during snoring, snoring patients have a decrease in the amount of gray matter, which can lead to a decrease in mental abilities.

Snoring can lead to deadly diseases such as sleep apnea, holding your breath during sleep. A snorer can have up to 500 breath stops per night, meaning they won't breathe for a total of about four hours, but they won't be able to remember it. Sleep apnea causes a lack of oxygen in the blood, and people suffering from sleep apnea constantly do not get enough sleep and feel tired. At moments of holding their breath, the sleepers turn restlessly in their sleep, but do not wake up. The resumption of breathing occurs with loud snoring. Gradually, the lack of oxygen will lead to heart rhythm disturbances and excessive stress on the brain, which can cause stroke and heart attacks. Because of all these dangers of snoring, people have long tried to fight it: even special machines are known that fix the volume of the environment and wake a person if he starts snoring.

Why do we sneeze with our eyes closed?

Interestingly, many people do not notice that when they sneeze, their eyes automatically close. Recently, scientists conducted a study clarifying why it is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. It showed that in the process of sneezing, which involves many muscles of the abs, chest, diaphragm, vocal cords and throat, such strong pressure is created that if the eyes are not closed, they can be damaged. The speed of air and particles emitted from the nasal passages during a sneeze is more than 150 km/h. The process of closing the eyes is controlled by a special part of the brain. Moreover, scientists have managed to discover the relationship between sneezing and human character: those who sneeze secretly and quietly are pedants, patient and calm, and those who, on the contrary, sneezes loudly and resoundingly, are typical enthusiasts with many friends and full of ideas. Only loners, decisive and demanding, independent and prone to leadership, sneeze quickly and without trying to restrain themselves.

Why do we yawn?

Breathing is sometimes associated with some unusual effects, such as yawning. Why do people yawn? The function of this process was not known for certain until recently. Various theories have explained yawning as helping breathing by activating the supply of oxygen, but scientist Robert Provin set up an experiment in which he disproved this theory by giving the subjects to breathe various mixtures of gases.

Another theory is that yawning when tired is a specific signal that synchronizes the biological clock in a group of people. That is why yawning is contagious, as it should set people up for a joint daily routine. There is also a hypothesis that yawns, with their sharp movements of the jaws, cause increased blood circulation, which helps to cool the brain. Applying a cold compress to the forehead of the subjects significantly reduced the frequency of yawning. It is known that fetuses often yawn while still in the mother's womb: this may help them expand their lung capacity and develop articulation. Yawning also has an antidepressant-like effect, and yawns are often accompanied by a slight sensation of relaxation.

Where are the dangers of breathing exercises?

Yogis warn that doing pranayama, breathing yoga, without proper preparation can be dangerous. Firstly, during practice, it is necessary to keep your back straight in certain positions, that is, to already master yoga asanas. Secondly, this breathing technique is so powerful that it can have a profound effect on the physical and emotional state of the body. In addition, the place of employment should be fresh air, and a number of restrictions are imposed on the practitioner: you cannot practice pranayama before the age of 18, with high blood pressure, injuries, illnesses, etc.

There are others breathing practices potentially hazardous to health. For example, holotropic breathing, which offers to plunge into an altered state of consciousness with the help of hyperventilation of the lungs - rapid breathing, which can cause many side effects, for example, brain hypoxia, and is highly discouraged for people with chronic cardiovascular diseases.

Top tips to learn how to breathe correctly. Why is it important for the health of the body to breathe through the nose, directing the air to the upper abdomen?

The importance of breathing for health

A healthy breathing process through direct expansion of the lungs and movement of the muscles of the diaphragm provides a micro-massage internal organs while improving the functioning of the digestive and circulatory systems. However, most people breathe incorrectly.

Improper breathing significantly reduces the percentage of oxygen absorbed by the body from the air. A number of scientific studies show that a modern person receives only half of the amount of oxygen that the body needs for normal operation.

How to breathe correctly?

Breathing that draws air into the chest and not into the abdomen is wrong. The muscles of the diaphragm in this case do not move up and down, but forward, compressing and limiting the lungs. In addition, this way of breathing makes you breathe through your mouth, not your nose.

Remember how children breathe - they breathe through their nose, and when they breathe, the upper part of their tummy goes down and up, while the chest practically does not move. Such breathing is called "diaphragmatic" and is the most natural for a person.

How to learn to breathe correctly?

Take the most comfortable position for you - sitting, standing or lying down. Put left hand on the chest, right - on the stomach. Try to breathe normally. Spend a few minutes observing exactly how you breathe and whether your stomach or chest moves as you breathe.

If your stomach does not move, lightly massage it with your palms around the navel, while trying to breathe so that the air allows the stomach to “open up”. Also, make sure that breathing is deep and carried out directly through the nose, and not through the mouth.

Why shouldn't you breathe through your mouth?

In fact, one of the main functions of the nose is to filter the air that enters the lungs. At the same time, mouth breathing practically does not filter the air, allowing both too cold and hot air, as well as various particles of dust or microbes, to enter the lungs.

Don't be surprised if you find nasal breathing "uncomfortable" - give your body a few days and it will restore normal function. Just try to devote a few minutes every hour to consciously breathing not through your mouth, but through your nose.

Breathe with your diaphragm

In the process of diaphragmatic breathing, not only the muscles of the diaphragm itself are included in the work, but also the abdominal muscles of the press, the muscles of the chest, shoulders and neck. All these muscles are extremely important not only for healthy breathing but also for correct posture.

The main postural disorders caused by a weak diaphragm are "open scissors" syndrome and "hourglass" syndrome. In the case of the latter, the lower ribs and pelvis seem to tighten, forcing the center of the abdomen to sink inward, minimizing the arch of the lower back.

Short breaths and long breaths

A healthy breathing cycle consists of a deep breath of 2-3 seconds, followed by a long exhalation of 3-4 seconds and a final pause of 2-3 seconds. Breathing should be rhythmic and as silent as possible.

The most correct is the commission of 8 breaths per minute - slow and measured. Mouth breathing with chest movement usually tends to be fast, about 10 cycles per minute, as the body is chronically short of oxygen.

The importance of correct posture

the site has already written that a constant sitting in a sitting position leads to posture disorders. However, the same factor also affects the breathing process - being in a “hunched” position, a person begins to breathe with the chest, and not with the stomach.

The position of the body during sleep is also critical for breathing. The most healthy is sleeping on the back, in which two pillows are used - a small pillow under the head and a pillow of medium height, placed under the hips and raising the pelvis.

Improper breathing significantly reduces the supply of oxygen to the body. To restore the habit of correct breathing, it is enough several times a day to pay attention to whether you breathe through your nose or through your mouth, and whether your stomach moves in the process.

7284 0

In the very first moments of his life, a newly born child must necessarily take his first breath in his life in order to straighten his lungs and only then breathe on his own.

If he does not do this, he will inevitably die, never having breathed in his life.

Breathing is necessary to provide the body with oxygen, which is used in the oxidative processes of energy production by each cell in our body and the release of carbon dioxide formed as a result of these processes.

The efficiency of lung ventilation depends on the state of the respiratory muscles, the mobility of the spine, ribs and their coordinated work. In the same time wrong breathing can have an adverse effect on the musculoskeletal system, leading to a loss of symmetry of the respiratory movements of the chest.

Conditions for blocking are created thoracic spine, which also takes part in respiratory movements. Ultimately, this negatively affects the entire spine.

In addition, due to poor ventilation of the lungs, some muscles involved in the movements of the trunk, neck and arms are included in the assistance of the main ones in order to maintain the necessary level of lung ventilation. Performing unusual, much larger work, they are overloaded.

This has an adverse effect on the condition of the cervical spine and contributes to the appearance of spasms and painful muscle seals in the auxiliary respiratory muscles, as well as headaches, pain in the neck and spine, dizziness and much more, which accompanies osteochondrosis of the spine.

Only through proper breathing is it possible to coordinate the tension of the diaphragm, muscles abdominals and the respiratory muscles of the chest, which is necessary when performing great efforts, stresses with holding the breath, for example, when lifting weights. This creates a good support for the spine in front.

This is why proper breathing is so important for spinal health. Let's check if you can breathe properly.

Test: Are You Breathing Correctly?

Stand in front of a mirror and follow the breathing movement of the chest and abdomen.

Breathing is calm.

Pay attention to the coordination of movements and the symmetry of the rise of the left and right half of the chest.

Note for yourself whether the auxiliary respiratory muscles take part in ventilation of the lungs: trapezius, small and large pectoral muscles, scalene, sternocleidomastoid muscles.

With proper breathing, both halves of the chest move symmetrically, and she and the stomach move synchronously.
On inspiration, the chest expands and rises.

The diaphragm, like a pump-pump, lowers, and the stomach inflates like a balloon. 70-80% of the load with proper breathing falls on the diaphragm.

When exhaling, everything happens the other way around: the chest narrows, lowers, the dome of the diaphragm rises, and the stomach deflates.

If the amplitude of movements of the abdomen and diaphragm is large, and the chest is small, then this type of correct breathing is called diaphragmatic breathing, in which respiratory movements are carried out mainly due to the work of the diaphragm.

If the amplitude of chest movements is commensurate with the amplitude of movements of the abdomen and diaphragm, then this type of correct breathing is called mixed.

In the case when respiratory movements are carried out mainly by one chest (breathing is called chest), this is incorrect, since the strongest respiratory muscle - the diaphragm - is not used adequately to maintain the required level of ventilation.

Moreover, the good, rhythmic work of the diaphragm not only provides effective ventilation, but also facilitates the outflow of blood through the superior and inferior vena cava and the lymphatic duct by changing the pressure in the chest cavity, thereby helping the heart, and also has a massaging effect on the internal organs. .

If you have determined the correct type of breathing for yourself, then feel free to proceed to the section “Development of strength and endurance”.

How to learn to breathe correctly

To learn how to synchronize the work of the diaphragm and the movements of the chest, perform next exercise.

Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent and hip joints to relax the abdominal muscles. Right hand control the movements of the abdomen, the left - the movements of the chest.

The task of the exercise is to coordinate the movements of the abdomen and chest.

When inhaling, the abdomen inflates like a balloon, and the chest expands and rises. On exhalation, the abdomen deflates and retracts, and the chest descends and narrows (Fig. 85).

Rice. 85. Teaching proper breathing

First learn diaphragmatic breathing, that is, breathing with the stomach, and then mixed.

During training, breathing is carried out through the mouth. To establish coordinated breathing, use a count of four: while inhaling, count to four, then exhale and pause, counting to four in each phase.

During the day, you should control the correct mixed breathing until it becomes habitual for you.

Remember!

Breathing not only provides us with oxygen, but also has a versatile effect on all organs and systems due to:
- the mechanism of regulation of biologically active substances in the lungs;
- the mechanism of the pump, which provides outflow through the vena cava and the lymphatic duct;
- massaging action of the diaphragm on the internal organs.

Ventilation of the lungs is provided by the musculoskeletal system. That is why violations in it often have a noticeable adverse effect on ventilation. Ventilation disorders, in turn, affect the state of the musculoskeletal system, including the spine.

With proper breathing, 70-80% of the load falls on the diaphragm.

During inhalation, the chest expands and rises symmetrically, and the abdomen inflates; when exhaling, the chest descends symmetrically, and the abdomen deflates. The basis of proper breathing is in the coordination of the movements of the diaphragm and chest.

Hello! Today we will talk about how to breathe with your stomach. Health, beauty of the body, and mental state depend on proper breathing. Many people breathe with their chest, which leads to internal tension, restlessness, anxiety, disruption of the internal organs. Therefore, it is important to learn how to breathe correctly with the abdominal cavity.

Diaphragmatic breathing is useful not only for athletes: singers, actors, TV presenters are taught a special technique. I will tell you how to learn how to perform a healthy breathing technique, and how it is useful. Give me a little attention and in a few weeks you will feel a surge of strength, energy.

Diaphragmatic breathing includes several rules for performing various exercises that have a beneficial effect on the physiological, psychological condition person.

Do not think that the absorption of air occurs in the stomach. You can only breathe it in with your lungs. The abdomen moves due to the movement of the diaphragm, which separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Inhaling air, the stomach is rounded, and when exhaling, it takes its original state.

Benefit and harm

Oddly enough, but the technique has not only many advantages, but also its drawbacks. There are also contraindications, but first things first.

Advantages

Breathing from the chest does not allow us to fully enrich the body with oxygen. We use less than half of our lungs by inhaling air quickly, shallowly, which is the cause of insomnia, atherosclerosis and other health problems. Diaphragmatic air intake has a number of advantages:

• Improved gas exchange. During shallow breathing, cell nutrition is reduced to a minimum, and the efficiency of gas exchange decreases. Therefore, there is lethargy constant fatigue. The correct movement of the diaphragm provides the body with energy, enriches with oxygen, improves immunity, and helps fight the disease.
• Allows you to relax. sympathetic nervous system must . But in calm moments of a person's life, the sympathetic system should decrease, and the parasympathetic nervous system should rise. If this does not happen, then stress does not leave the person for a long time, so the sympathetic system is excited, suppressing the parasympathetic one. With proper breathing, the parasympathetic system can be given an impulse to relax in order to achieve inner peace.
• It is a "pain reliever". Muscles tense up, and severe pain appears, gradually turning into chronic. Deep breathing effectively relieves pain attacks.
• Tones muscles. During inhalations, exhalations, all parts of the body must function in order to maintain healthy immunity, muscle tone. Diaphragmatic breathing includes the work of the abdominal muscles, back, pelvic floor, aperture.

• Improves posture. To properly perform the air absorption technique, it is required not to slouch: the shoulders must be relaxed, the back is straight, the pelvis does not protrude.
• Depressant. Deep breaths, slow exhalations during abdominal breathing calm the central nervous system.
• . Oxygen enters the body.

Flaws

Technique abdominal breathing need to learn gradually after consulting a doctor. It is contraindicated for people suffering from hypertension to breathe in the stomach. After all, the lungs, the heart is the strongest impact, which increases intrathoracic, intrapulmonary pressure. After the first exercises, weakness, dizziness may appear.

Correct belly breathing technique

For relaxation, stress relief breathing exercises can be carried out at home, taking any position.

1. Take a deep breath in through your nose, sticking out your belly, and count to three.
2. Hold your breath for a count of three.
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of six.

Exhalation is twice as long as inhalation. This is necessary to enrich the body with oxygen, its purification from carbon dioxide.

In yoga

Inhalation begins at the navel, and you feel your stomach swell. Slowly move on to the chest. The chest expands, fills with oxygen, and then the throat expands. Exhaling, change the sequence: throat, chest, stomach.

in oxysize

Take a deep breath into your belly, expanding your abdominal cavity. Without ceasing to inhale the air, take three breaths, dialing maximum amount air. A second of rest, lips are made with a tube. Breathe out one breath from the abdomen, then three breaths from the chest.

In qigong practice

Practice includes various exercises, breathing exercises.

• "Frog"

We take the Turkish pose, joining our hands in the castle, put our elbows on our knees. Touch your forehead to the joined palms. Exhale and immediately inhale through the belly through the nasal passages. Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds. Take a breath and exhale slowly. The exercise is performed on an empty stomach, the number of workouts is 2-3 per day for 10-15 minutes.

• "Wave"

Lie on your back, bend your knees. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Breathe in through your chest, pulling in your belly. Next, exhale, expanding, inflating the abdominal cavity, while the chest is retracted. The body resembles a wavy line. Exercise helps eliminate the feeling of hunger.

How to breathe in a "vacuum"

1. Lie on your back, bend your knees.
2. As you exhale, draw in your stomach, trying to bring your navel as close to your spine as possible.
3. Lock the position for 15 seconds.
4. The exercise is repeated 3 times.

Thanks to constant training, you can learn to hold the position of the press for up to 1 minute. This exercise has an advantage: in a state of vacuum, you can take deep and shallow breaths, exhaling every 5 or 8 seconds.

In fitness, bodybuilding

At strength exercises you can’t hold your breath so that the brain does not experience oxygen starvation, does not increase arterial pressure and did not reduce the effectiveness of the training.

1. Inhale air through the nose at the moment of the least muscular effort, completely filling the lungs.
2. Exhale the air completely with your mouth at the time of the power reception.

Common mistakes and what you need to know

Start breathing exercises gradually so that the body gets used to the increased volume of oxygen.

People who begin breathing exercises should be aware that they are performed on an empty stomach. Constantly skipping workouts, you will not accustom the body to abdominal breathing.

Before mastering the technique of diaphragmatic breathing, it is necessary to consult a doctor, check your health for the presence of cardiovascular diseases, hernia, ulcers.

Those who want to lose weight study this breathing technique, but the diet is left the same. Without a balanced nutrition program for weight loss, you cannot achieve the desired result.

No matter how strange and ridiculous it may sound, but the vast majority of people use their breathing apparatus for hardly a quarter of its real efficiency. Interestingly, young children breathe correctly; from this we can conclude that the habit of breathing incorrectly and inefficiently is not innate, but acquired. Most often this is provoked by hypodynamia, or not enough physical activity.

When a person moves little, most of his organs do not need an active flow of blood enriched with oxygen; that's why he gets used to breathing shallowly. Inefficient use of the entire volume of the lungs provokes the deterioration and the occurrence of various chronic diseases.

Correct and incorrect breathing

Most women breathe only through their breasts. This is partly due to the cult of a slender body - in pursuit of a perfectly flat stomach, the fairer sex avoids everything that can give their tummies at least some volume. Children and men mainly breathe from the stomach, but their breathing is also shallow. Breathing from the chest overloads the larynx and vocal cords, and breathing from the stomach harms the digestive organs.

How to breathe correctly? Proper breathing is of a mixed nature, that is, both the chest and the stomach are involved in its process. Modern man so unaccustomed to the natural mechanism of breathing, laid down by nature itself, that he is forced to consciously learn this anew.

Learn to breathe correctly: how to do it?

First you need to master the correct breath. To do this, you need to mainly use the diaphragm, relaxing the muscles as much as possible. shoulder girdle. In this case, the duration of the inhalation should be approximately half as long as the exhalation.

To practice proper breathing, exhale, completely emptying your lungs of residual air. When you feel the urge to inhale, start slowly inhaling through your nose - it lasts approximately 8 seconds. At the same time, fill the lungs with air, starting from the bottom - first the stomach inflates a little, then the diaphragm, and finally the upper chest.

Exhale, which lasts twice as long as inhalation, in reverse order - chest, diaphragm, stomach. After exhaling, take a short pause and only then take another breath. This pause allows you to avoid hyperventilation and dizziness from intense saturation of the body with oxygen.

Do these workouts daily on an empty stomach or a few hours after eating, and you will soon master full breathing.