You may not don't think about breathing while you do it, but it wouldn't hurt to start. According to the American Medical Student Association, most people breathe incorrectly because they use chest breathing instead of abdominal breathing. Chest breathing happens when the muscles of your chest contract, reducing possible air intake. Abdominal breathing pulls air all the way into your lungs and improves oxygen and blood transfer.
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
When you are stressed or anxious your heart rate increases and your blood pressure rises. Over time, stress along with a heart rate and blood pressure that are consistently high can cause health problems such as inflammation and muscle pain. Proper abdominal breathing allows you to consciously slow your heart rate, according to the American Medical Student Association.
Balance
"Many holistic practitioners believe that the breath is the link between the physical body and the ethereal mind," according to the Victorian Government Department of Health in Australia. In yoga, the practice of pranayana uses breathing to influence and change energies in your body that, once they are in balance, can lead to better overall health and well being. This also increases relaxation and helps you gain greater control over your breathing. Prana is the word for breath, energy and life force.
Better Oxygen Transfer
According to the American Medical Student Association, the shallow breathing associated with stress actually restricts your chest muscles, limiting air exchange to the upper part of your lungs. Ideally, air exchange encompasses the upper and lower parts of your lungs. Learning to breathe abdominally will pull more blood into your chest and improve blood return to your heart, say the experts at the association. When oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs at the proper rate your blood is more efficient at purging toxins, according to HealthandYoga.com.
Energy
While long-term shallow breathing has the potential to empty too much oxygen from the blood and heighten symptoms of stress like fatigue, taking short breaths can actually be helpful in times of tremendous fatigue. By practicing Bellows breathing and taking short, fast, rhythmic breaths you can recreate the adrenal stimulation that occurs with stress and release stimulating chemicals into your blood. This practice should only be used in times of extreme fatigue, such as long car trips. Bellows breathing can lead to hyperventilation if it's overused, according to the American Medical Student Association.
Autonomic Nervous System
Relaxed breathing calms your autonomic nervous system, according to the Victorian Government Department of Health. The effects of gaining this level of calm include lower blood pressure and heart rate, lower stress-hormone levels and less lactic acid buildup in muscle tissue. You will feel calmer and looser in your limbs.
