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Do you suffer from cold hands and feet? Poor circulation? Mental blanks? Maybe it’s time to look at your breathing habits.

You might say that breathing is automatic, so why worry about it? After all, the body knows how to breathe. True, but there are factors that affect the quality of the breath you take and with it, the amount of oxygen and nourishment that gets delivered to the cells.

Just pay attention to your breath for a moment. Do you inhale and exhale very quickly so that the air you draw in barely expands your chest? If so, take a deeper breath, inhale slowly through the nose and draw the air deeply into the lower part of your lungs. See your abdomen expand with each incoming breath. Ah...that feels better! You can feel yourself coming more alive with each breath. This is because abdominal breathing is the most natural form of breathing.

You’re likely seated while you read this article, but stand up for a minute. Straighten your spine and neck and take a slow, deep breath in through the nose. Now exhale gently, letting the air out through the nostrils. With your next incoming breath, lift up your arms as you breathe in, as much as feels comfortable. This allows you to take an even deeper breath. Deeper breathing allows more oxygen to reach deeply into the lungs, replacing stale air that has accumulated during periods of shallow breathing.

Because of poor breathing habits, most people use less than a third of their total lung capacity. This means that better breathing habits could more than double the amount of oxygen that reaches the lungs, the blood and ultimately, the cells of the body. Increased oxygen means increased circulation, better detoxification and nourishment of all body cells–in short, a healthier you!

Oxygenate the Cells

An excellent way to improve breathing is through regular exercise. When the body moves, it demands more oxygen. The more you exercise outdoors in the fresh air, the better. Brisk walking, jogging and cross-country skiing are perfect ways to increase oxygen intake. Breathing should never be forced or choppy but always gentle and easy, smoothly flowing.

Try these simple stretching exercises, which can also be done outdoors. Stand erect and empty your lungs of air. Then slowly raise both arms to a horizontal position in front of you, breathing in gently and deeply while lifting your arms. Hold the breath for a moment. Continue lifting up your arms to an almost vertical position on each side of your head while continuing to inhale. As you raise your arms higher, you draw in just a bit more air. Then gently lower your arms and breathe out slowly and completely. Repeat this several times, mornings and evenings. Be persistent. Poor breathing habits have developed over a long period of time and it takes patience and perseverance to change them, but it is well worth the effort.

The increased oxygen supply that comes with exercise tends to promote mental clarity and brain power. A recent study conducted at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign showed that 30 minutes of moderately heavy to heavy running on a treadmill improved thinking ability and increased the speed of the decision-making process.

Combat Stress

Deeper and slower breathing is also the perfect antidote to stress. The fight-or-flight response, which most of us unconsciously adopt in response to a perceived stressor, causes muscles to contract and restricts breathing. By consciously altering the breathing pattern with deeper and slower breaths, it is possible to relax the entire nervous system in a relatively short time. The deeper the breath you take, the less often you will need to breathe. The average person breathes about 16 times a minute. Those who are skilled in proper breathing breathe only five or six times a minute. The slower and deeper the breathing, the calmer the person. He or she is also far less likely to become breathless or fatigued.

You will notice that your posture plays a significant role in your ability to breathe well. When you’re slouched in a chair or sofa, the rib cage compresses the lungs, making it difficult for them to fill with air. The more erect you sit or stand, the better your breathing capacity. Deep breathing, in turn, will strengthen muscles and help them work more efficiently, thus improving your posture. Even the internal organs receive a workout through proper breathing–the contracting and expanding diaphragm massages the kidneys, liver, stomach and heart. When the lungs are expanded on the in-breath, even the intestines and sex organs receive a gentle massage.

Breathing is the most vital of body functions. An improvement in breathing patterns and breathing capacity brings about an immediate improvement in all other body functions. Breathing is the very foundation of life, and it enhances the body’s ability to regenerate itself. The next time you feel fatigued, listless or lethargic, think of nature’s instant
energizer–take a deep breath!

Simone Gabbay is a registered nutritional consultant in Toronto and the author of Nourishing the Body Temple.

Source: alive #232, February 2002