How to perform abdominal breathing correctly
Abdominal breathing is a common breathing training method, also known asrelaxation breathing or breath regulation training.
Abdominal breathing involves consciously extending the inhalation and exhalation time, performing deep, slow, and regular breathing exercises to achieve self-regulation of body and mind.
Abdominal breathing can reduce the excitability of the sympathetic nervous system , enabling the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems to function in a coordinated manner, reducing stress levels , and effectively alleviating tension and anxiety .
Abdominal breathing VS Thoracic breathing
Abdominal breathing
Abdominal breathing is mainly based on the movement of the diaphragm. When breathing, the diaphragm descends, the abdominal pressure increases, and it feels as if
air is directly entering the abdomen . If you place your hand on your navel at this time, you will feel
your hand slightly rising and falling .
Chest breathing
Most people, especially women, use chest breathing, which involves only
the ribs moving up and down and the chest expanding slightly . Many alveoli at the base of the lungs
do not undergo thorough expansion and contraction and do not receive adequate exercise. As a result, oxygen cannot be adequately delivered to all parts of the body, and over time, various organs will experience varying degrees of oxygen deficiency.
What are the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing?
For the lungs
Abdominal breathing exercises can increase the range of motion of the diaphragm, and the movement of the diaphragm directly affects the ventilation of the lungs. With increased ventilation, the body’s oxygen supply is improved , and lung tissue becomes stronger, thus better resisting respiratory diseases such as colds, bronchitis, and asthma.
On the other hand, since the diaphragm and intercostal muscles are also exercised during breathing, our vitality and endurance will increase accordingly, and we will have more energy.
For mental relaxation
When the human body faces significant stress, blood pressure rises and heart rate increases . Studies have found that diaphragmatic breathing can reduce sympathetic nerve excitability and alleviate tension and anxiety.
Other studies have shown that diaphragmatic breathing can be used to control test anxiety, and students who practice diaphragmatic breathing have seen a certain degree of improvement in their rankings.
For functional dyspepsia
Patients with functional dyspepsia experience symptoms such as bloating, loss of appetite, and constipation, but no obvious organ abnormalities . Its onset is often related to emotions and stress. Studies have found that diaphragmatic breathing has a positive impact on psychological and organ function regulation.
For childbirth
Tension, anxiety, and depression are the most common stress responses in pregnant and postpartum women. Abdominal breathing can regulate the stress psychological state and organ function of pregnant and postpartum women. It is also simple, easy to do, has no toxic side effects, and does not increase the economic burden. It is easily accepted and used by pregnant and postpartum women and has a positive effect on promoting the rate of natural childbirth and the health of mother and child.
For essential hypertension
Primary hypertension is a typical psychosomatic illness, associated with chronic stress and anxiety . Studies have found that if hypertensive patients consistently practice diaphragmatic breathing exercises, they can effectively alleviate clinical symptoms and reduce medication dosage.
Relaxing pelvic floor muscles
Clinically, many patients who undergo pelvic floor screening have pelvic floor electromyography (EMG) reports showing values exceeding the reference range before and after screening . Some of these patients also experience pelvic floor pain and spasms, especially after completing pelvic floor muscle exercises.
At this point, clinicians will recommend that patients change their breathing pattern , from shallow and rapid chest breathing to deep and slow abdominal breathing , which can effectively relax the pelvic floor muscles.
How to perform diaphragmatic breathing
Step 1
Lie down (or sit), place one hand on your abdomen, and imagine your body is completely relaxed . You can start by completely relaxing for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Slowly inhale, feeling your abdomen expand as you take in more air (like a balloon) . Raise your hand on your abdomen until you take in the maximum amount of air . This inhalation process takes about 3 to 4 seconds, then hold for 1 to 2 seconds.
Step 3
Exhale slowly, feeling the air in your abdomen being slowly expelled through your respiratory tract (like a deflated balloon ). Your hands, placed on your abdomen, will lower as the amount of air decreases. Imagine your abdomen pressing against your spine as the air is expelled . This exhalation process takes about 3-4 seconds.
Step 4
epeat steps 2-3 five times, coordinating with pelvic floor muscle contraction during abdominal breathing
. For those with high pelvic floor tension, contract the pelvic floor muscles during exhalation and relax them during inhalation; for those with low pelvic floor tension, contract the pelvic floor muscles during inhalation and relax them during exhalation.
Important points
- Abdominal breathing should be deep and slow , with each inhale and exhale reaching its maximum .
- You can inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth , feeling the air flowing through your body;
- Imagine that every part of your body is relaxed throughout the process , and you can coordinate with the contraction of your pelvic floor muscles;
- People with strong constitutions can hold their breath for a longer time, breathing deeply and slowly. People with weak constitutions can avoid holding their breath, but they should still inhale fully .
- Abdominal breathing does not require a specific training time, but consistency is key ; each session can last 5 to 15 minutes.
- If your chest and abdomen tighten when you inhale but expand when you exhale, it means you are breathing incorrectly.
