Why is it important that we breathe deeply and slowly?

Why is it important that we breathe deeply and slowly?

Lung capacity is one of the greatest determinants of health and longevity, trumping even genetics, diet or daily exercise. Our ability to breathe full breaths is, according to researchers “a measure of living capacity”. Let’s have a look at how the quality of our breath and the capacity of our lungs impacts our overall health and what we can do to improve in these areas.

Cardiovascular health

This inefficient breathing creates more work for the heart, increases blood pressure, and causes circulatory problems. If we increase our breath capacity by just 50% of what we are currently doing, cardiovascular stress will lessen and the body will work more efficiently. Deep breathing improves cardiac output, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation.

Rest and digest

When we breathe deeply and slowly (diaphragmatic breathing), we shift our body from a state of stress to a state of relaxed alertness where our body can focus on important tasks such as digestion and elimination, repair and growth, immune, cellular and hormonal processes. This shift also helps with pain relief, promotes concentration, quality sleep, a sense of calm, and resilience to stressful situations.

Cleansing and clearing

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system doesn’t have its own pump. It relies on our bodies movements to propel the lymph fluid around our bodies. Deep breathing that engages the diaphragm effectively, ensures the lymph is propelled around and can do its job of collecting waste, aiding our body’s detoxification and immune processes.

Steps to improve breathing and lung health

Take breathing breaks throughout the day

To get you in the habit, set an alarm on your phone that goes off 3 or 4 times a day. You don’t have to stop what you’re doing, you don’t even have to close your eyes. Just notice your breath for three breaths. Simply bringing awareness to your breath can deepen and lengthen it. Don’t believe me? Give it a try!

Train your breath

Taking breathing breaks is a great place to start improving your breathing and if that’s all you’ve got time for, then that’s perfect. For the truly keen, weekly breathing exercises will improve your breath and health radically. You don’t have to spend ages on these, breathing exercises can be simple and short and you don’t need any equipment or expensive leggings to take part. Square breathing and alternate nostril breathing are two of my favourite exercises. Instructions or videos can be found online.

Correct your form

Don’t worry we’re not training for the breathing Olympics here, I won’t poke you with a stick if you ‘do it wrong’. However, there are some common mistakes we make that can mean our breathing suffers. When you take a breathing break, make sure you are breathing through the nose not the mouth, your belly not your chest and you give the exhalation as much attention as the inhalation.

Exercise

Moderate exercise like walking or cycling can improve lung capacity by up to 15 per cent. You don’t necessarily have to join a gym to see the benefits, small increases in your daily activity can help massively. Take the stairs, park in the furthest space from the supermarket door, mow the lawn and weed the garden. Yoga is a great form of exercise for lung health, it includes stretching, and twisting which improves posture and gives space to our lungs so we can breathe more freely. Yoga has the added benefit of linking each movement with a conscious breath so you get a double treat for your lungs. You don’t need to book into a yoga class, or even leave your sofa. Try some simple yoga stretches from wherever you’re sitting. 

Clear your airways

If congestion prevents you from breathing deeply or causes you to breathe through your mouth instead of your nose, I have some tips for you to remedy the situation. Mouth breathers are more likely to suffer with allergies, bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay, snoring and sleep apnea.

• Use it or lose it

If you are a mouth breather whose nose has become a bit lazy, there are a few things you could try. Mouth taping at night may sound extreme, and it certainly takes some getting used to but anecdotal evidence shows it has worked to encourage a switch to nasal breathing for many chronic mouth breathers, even those with congested nasal passages. If you are interested, do some investigating and decide if it might work for you. It goes without saying that parcel tape is not the kindest to your skin, just a small square of micropore tape would do the trick!

• Poho oil

This blend of essential oils clears and cleanses airways that have become stubborn and stuck. If you are treating a current stuffed nose place a few drops in a bowl of steamy water and cover your head with a towel while you inhale the steamy goodness. For maintaining clear and healthy airways put a few drops on a tissue and leave it in your car, under your pillow at night or into a pan of hot water while you’re pottering about the kitchen and let the essential oils do their work.

• Sinuforce

This handy, portable nasal decongestant works really well for clearing airways on the go. I keep one in the car and in my handbag so if my sinuses play up or I react to something in my environment I can quickly decongest and keep my breath deep and easy.

Eat for your lungs

Foods containing compounds called glucosinolates have an affinity for the lungs where they have antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Glucosinolates are found in brassica veggies such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and plants like water cress, nasturtium and horse radish. Include plenty of these in your diet for optimum lung health.

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10988186/

Nestor, James (2021). Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. United States: Penguin.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709795/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25234581/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818249/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2735794/