Are You Breathing Properly?

Some say the diaphragm is one of the most important muscles in the human body.  Considering that it is our primary muscle of respiration, I would say so!  Is your diaphragm functioning properly?  Given the posture that many North Americans assume on a daily basis at a desk job, it is possible that it is not.  If you find that you are often slouching, your diaphragm is getting squished by your upper torso compressing it down.

Why is this a problem?  The body uses our diaphragm to expand our ribcage so that our lungs take in oxygen.  The body will compensate with the use of other muscles when our diaphgram doesn’t do the job.  There are a number of secondary muscles of respiration, but none as important as our scalenes!  Our nerves pass through our scalenes, so if they are tight, it can lead to numerous problems.

How can we help ourselves?  Invest some time into properly breathing.  When we only breathe into the top of our chest, this is called apical breathing, and it isn’t good for us.  Here is an exercise to get started.  If this exercise is painful, stop doing it, and see a physical therapist for your diaphragm tune up!

Retraining Yourself to Breathe Diaphragmatically

• Inhale through your nose. This warms and filters the air.
• Place one hand over your chest and one hand over your abdomen.
• Take a slow breath in, try to bring it deep down into your abdomen, and feel the abdomen moving outward. (Some people benefit with a visualization such as imagining a balloon filling up in their stomach).
• Your breath then moves your ribs laterally, and chest slightly up and forward. Your shoulders should be relaxed.

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Sources:

http://www.massagetherapycanada.com/content/view/1428/38/
http://www.rehabps.com/DATA/JOSPT.pdf
https://www.painscience.com/articles/respiration-connection.php