Breathing is essential to life, but thoughtful and controlled breathing can offer benefits that go beyond basic respiration. According to the American Medical Student Association, controlled breathing exercises can affect stress levels, blood...
High blood pressure is a medical condition that, if left untreated, can lead to heart attack or stroke. It is often caused by stress, but it can also result from obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and genetic history. Breathing...
Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious respiratory condition that results in lung scarring. According to Mayo Clinic.com, injury to the deep tissue of the lungs will stiffen the area and make breathing difficult. Causes of trauma will vary. Long term...
Lowering your blood pressure is really as easy as breathing. The trick is you need to breathe slowly. Study after study has proven that slow, conscious breathing exercises, even when only done a few minutes a day can substantially lower blood...
Most people do not use their lungs to their fullest capacity. Whether someone is stressed, inattentive to their breathing or simply have a bad habit, breathing rarely occurs in the full way that it should. When people fail to breathe and use the...
Your rate and method of breathing can influence your level of relaxation and your ability to perform well during exercise and everyday activities. Deep breaths are relaxing, but you cannot maintain the same deep breathing during exercise as you...
When you get stressed out and anxious, it can feel as though someone is sitting on your chest. Your mind starts to race and your breathing becomes shallow and rushed. Anxiety can be caused by a range of factors, from a psychological condition to...
Yoga is thousands of years old. Yoga not only includes physical postures, or asanas, but also pranayama or breath control exercises and meditation. Yoga can be as gentle or as powerful as you make it. To perform yoga with a broken bone such as a...
In his book, “Return to Life Through Contrology,” Joseph Pilates wrote: “Breathing is the first act of life, and the last… above all, learn how to breathe correctly.” Movement through proper breathing is one of the...
Yoga includes numerous breathing or pranayama exercises that build lung strength, relax the body, focus the mind and keep the body warm. You can practice breath control exercises from a seated, standing or supine position. Yoga also has poses or...
The National Mental Health Information Center lists yoga as an alternative mental health care option. A combination of yoga poses, breathing exercises and meditation provide an overall improvement in mental, physical and emotional health. The Mayo...
CrossFit is an exercise method developed by former gymnast Michael Glassman in 1995. The high-intensity blend of aerobic exercise and weightlifting focuses on speed and power. Among those who adopted a CrossFit-style approach was David Salo, a...
Deep and sustained breathing is essential to creating perfect tone with a flute. In contrast to other woodwind instruments, such as the clarinet and alto sax, you create flute tones by blowing across a tone hole on the mouthpiece rather than...
Yogic breathing is called pranayama, or Sanskrit meaning "breath control." Traditionally, your teacher or guru would lead you through physical postures or asanas and later teach you the more advanced practice of pranayama. Yogis believe that a...
It is easy to reach for a sugary snack or more coffee when we are stressed and on a work deadline out of habit. Instead, use breathing exercises to reduce stress. Many breathing exercises are variations of classical breath work found in pranayama,...
Without exercise, your body would have the strength of a bowl of mush. Your muscles, tendons and ligaments have the capacity to carry you to the highest heights or keep you stranded at the lowest lows. Enjoyable, low-stress exercises can get your...
Qigong exercises are closely related to tai chi. They are gentle exercises and stretches that are not difficult to do, but they promote increased flexibility and strength by doing them regularly.
Power yoga is based on traditional ashtanga yoga, as taught by the ancient sage Patanjali. Ashtanga means "eight limbed" and includes eight principles: ethical living, personal discipline, physical exercises, breathing exercises, withdrawal of the...
In addition to helping to prepare you for birth by strengthening your muscles and helping you to practice breathing control, exercise can also reduce current pregnancy symptoms and ailments. The amount of exercise you can do depends on many...
After heart surgery, pneumonia or injuries involving fractured ribs, it is not uncommon for lung capacity to be impaired. To recover and maintain proper lung function, physiotherapy breathing exercises may be implemented. Techniques like...
When you feel stressed, your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes shallower and shorter. Your body is preparing to protect itself from life-threatening dangers. This response is called the fight or flight syndrome and is an important...
Breathing exercises, also known as pranayama in the yogic tradition, are exercises used to control the breath. With consistent practice, breathing exercises can improve the overall function of your body and can even be used to treat problems with...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a long-term condition that is characterized by shortness of breath, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Smoking is considered the primary cause of this disease. People with...
Yoga practitioners have long used breathing exercises to help alleviate numerous medical conditions. Breathing is considered the life force in yoga and many yoga-breathing exercises are designed to control the breath. Familydoctor.org reports that...
Having trouble breathing when swimming can exhaust you and even make you panic. Unlike running, in swimming, you must regulate your breathing to time it with your stroke. Only backstroke allows you to breathe at will; the other three competitive...
To sing correctly and produce a good sound, you must use proper breathing techniques. Having good breath support, using abdominal breathing and controlling your rate of exhalation are all part of effective singing and can allow you to control...
Thoughts of New York City often stir up images of going out to clubs late into the night. However, the city also caters to parents who are looking for healthy activities for their little ones. Throughout the five boroughs, classes, parks and...
Dancers often use the term “breathing from the diaphragm.” Although breathing from the diaphragm is not technically possible, the phrase refers to deep and controlled breathing. Numerous exercises help dancers control their breathing,...
Proper breath control is essential for obtaining a strong and consistent vocal performance. Breath control can be improved through exercises designed to boost lung capacity and manage the steady release of breath while singing. A number of...
Learn how to swim a competitive butterfly stroke race in this free video clip. Get swimming lessons from an expert on health and fitness.
Teaching a child to go underwater may be easier than it sounds. Children have a natural reflex to go underwater but can lose it. Learn how to teach a child to go underwater in this swimming video.
Meditation really helps the symptoms of ADHD. Learn how to meditate to help your disorder in this free video clip from a medical professional.
Start with slow and controlled squats and move to more explosive ones. Learn how to do the Weekend Warrior Workout in this free exercise and fitness video.
