When you take short, shallow breaths you’re actually limiting the amount of oxygen that’s made available to your brain and the rest of your body. Shallow breathing can also increase blood pressure, as your heart has to pump faster to get the limited amount of oxygen you’re giving it to the rest of your body. Practicing deep breathing exercises will help equally soothe your mind and body, while also increasing your metabolic rate.
Since oxygen feeds our body; digestion is inhibited when your other bodily functions (I.e., breathing) are slowed down. Deep breathing exercises can be done as many times as you like during the day and are a staple in all martial arts, yoga and meditation techniques.
Wake up with a burst of oxygen
Why rely on caffeine and sugar to get your body going? The answer for most of us is that it doesn’t require much thought to grab a coffee or sugary donuts; while stopping to breathe properly for 5 minutes seems like a chore to most people. Your body and mind will appreciate the heightened oxygen levels you get from simple deep breathing exercises, more than it will love being a slave to the morning caffeine fix.
How it’s done
While yoga, kickboxing and meditation courses will teach you how to breathe properly: Here’s a simple exercise you can do:
Sit with your back straight, head up and shoulders back.
Once your posture is right inhale as deep and slow as you can into your stomach.
Hold the breath for a two-count, then exhale all the air from your body.
Repeat this exercise 5 – 10 times.
(Note: Once you’ve done this exercise for a while, start varying how long you hold your breath in for. Once your muscles can handle the exercise, you can increase the tempo and take faster breaths, mixed with longer ones. Just make sure your breathing deep into your tummy.)
Learn more about deep breathing exercises and read lots of health tips at our stay healthy website.
