Diaphragmatic breathing is a wonder
Diaphragmatic breathing effectively slows your breathing, reinforcing your diaphragm and overall cutting down your oxygen requirement.
This breathing exercise is mainly about working your diaphragm. The diaphragm is that muscle (concavely shaped) sitting just below your lungs. This is responsible for breathing.
In this technique, instead of breathing through your chest, you would breathe from your diaphragmatic region. To better get this right, it would help if you lie on your back, having your knees bent. Alternatively, you can sit right up your chair.
If done appropriately, slowly breathe through your nostrils, all this time with two hands respectively resting flat on your stomach and your upper chest. Keeping the hand on your chest, move the other one on your stomach.
Now calmly exhale from your pursed lips. Sustained practice is required to get to the stage where you can fluidly breathe out and in with your chest remaining still.
Have you heard of Buteyko breathing?
You don’t need to remind me this exercise has a curious name, but it works excellently in easing your asthma. The Buteyko exercise derives its name from the Ukrainian doctor, Konstantin Buteyko, who created the technique back in the 50s.
The Buteyko breathing is aimed at slowing your breathing pace while helping you breathe deeper. By reducing hyperventilation in people with asthma, this technique reduces shortness of breath.
Studies have established its efficacy in reducing patient drug dependency and improving asthma symptoms, although more scientific exploration is needed to affirm its capacity in improving overall lung function.
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To practice the Buteyko technique, start by sitting straight on a chair and relaxing your chest muscles. With your abdominal muscles decompressed, you can take a depth breath while your eyes are shut.
With your mouth closed, draw air in through your nose, taking alternative shallow and deep breaths. After a while, gradually exhale until you no longer feel your lungs pumped up with air. Upon achieving this, delay your breath for as long as possible before reverting to calmer breathing.
Lastly, you can resort to the Progressive relaxation technique
This technique aims to reduce your overall muscular contraction, relaxing your body, and in the process, relaxing your breathing. How do you go about this?
First, lie with your back on the ground while shutting your eyes. Now, let us transfer your total concentration to your nasal breathing, constricting the muscles in your right foot.
Next, free things up, relax and feel the tension ooze out of your body. Repeat the procedures with your left foot muscles. You can keep alternating between both legs till you feel significantly relieved, typical of your body feeling weightless.