Breathing Exercises
May 11, 2010 - Posted in Monthly Blogs
Breathing Exercises
The Diaphragm is a respiratory muscle that enables us to fill our lungs with air. To help you get a clear picture of how the diaphragm works it would be relevant to the actions of a toilet plunger, when pressed down the muscle is contracted and flattens out resulting in inspiration. Try this now, take in a big breath and notice how your ribs expand the bigger the breath you inhale. Notice that inspiration is a forced movement, you need to contract the diaphragm; a muscle, in order to inhale. Where as expiration is a passive movement, it just happens and there is no muscle contraction needed, and like the plunger, if you took your hand off the handle the recoil from the plunger would bounce back to its normal dome shape; just like the relaxed state of the diaphragm there is no muscular contraction is needed.So the reason for these exercises is to increase the strength of the diaphragm and the other muscles of inspiration and expiration; the movement of the chest cavity and to rehabilitate and improve the elastic recoil of the lungs and associated airways. When you breathe think of your lungs and ribcage, the capacity they hold and the amount of expansion they provide; Air is the source and quality of life.There are three breathing patterns you should be aware of. Think of them in thirds;
Top third is apical breathing, is like a pump handle. One pump handle represents one side of ribcage moving up and down along a fairly vertical axis. Middle third is thoracic breathing, is like a bucket handle. One bucket is one side of ribcage. Bottom third is like caliper breathing it uses lateral movement of the ribs to facilitate a full lung capacity along with the diaphragm. One caliper represents both sides of the ribcage. With all exercises concentrate on how your body feels, don’t feel silly if you have to put one hand on your belly and the other on the top centre on the breast bone (sternum). To do this you may have to close your eyes and take exaggerated breathes to help you establish your breathing pattern. Never move to quickly after doing your exercises, get back up slowly and progressively from lying flat to sitting, kneeling, one-leg kneeling and progress to sitting in a chair then standing. You are your own best judge of this, but only if you are honest with yourself. If you feel dizzy then wait…there is never any hurry…slow is good!
Diaphragmatic breathing aka “belly breathing”
Belly breathing can assists with control of breathing pattern by the use of the diaphragm to improve ventilation, oxygenation and excursion of the diaphragm.
Position: lying down (sitting when you become more advanced in this technique)Place one hand on belly and other hand on chest bone (sternum), feel what is happening this is your gauge for noting improvement as you breath normally then with diaphragm intent. Notice the difference.Inhale through your nose, fill your lungs slowly and completely without expanding the upper lung cavities too much, this means that your chest hand will move very minimally or not at all, the latter is what we want to achieve. Then…The Belly hand will feel the most movement as the depth of the inhale increases. Your inhale will naturally give you a big “Buddha Belly” as this is the goal, pay attention to your body and avoid distending your belly with force.
On the exhale; through a neutrally opened mouth, allow the air to expel like a slow leak in a tire.Repeat the process initially for 5minutes then when you feel, not think, you are ready for more increase the time by 1min/day, do this twice a day to start for first week, then second week progress to 3 times. Always listen to your body. You may need to take baby steps to get here, there is no race, and progression is your friend.
Book Belly Breathing
This is similar to diaphragmatic breathing with the exception that you will now place a book on you abdomen, the weight of the book is like going to the gym and pumping iron. Start off with a small hardcover, and work your way up to the big Oxford dictionary after a couple weeks. Repeat 5mins, 2x/day increase progressively and take breaks if needed, to just breathe normally.
Pursed Lip Breathing
It is similar to Diaphragmatic breathing, the difference being on the exhale you will gently purse your lips to create a back pressure in the airways and lungs. Always breathe in through the nose & out through the mouth in a slow and controlled manner this creates a back pressure in the airways to keep them open with a passive, relaxed expiration with gently pursed lips. This technique is very good when you feel a shortness of breath and can be done in any position; for example standing or sitting. Repeat 5mins, 2x/day increase progressively and take breaks if needed, to just breathe normally.
If these exercises are all done with intent they can become very effective part in increasing your lung capacity, however, please note that everyone has different response patterns due to age, health and physical activity. So watch for those subtle changes these are great markers of improvement.
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