It is worth practicing diaphragm breathing, because it is the second most important muscle in the human body, after the heart, and it works continuously. The important role of the diaphragm is evidenced by the fact that its functioning affects the organs in the abdominal cavity, the spine, respiratory, lymphatic and circulatory systems. Strengthening the diaphragm with regular exercises helps to relieve the spine, prevents discopathies and sciatica. Frequent movement of the diaphragm will help to avoid problems with blood or lymph stagnation, thus reducing the risk of varicose veins, edema and cellulite.

Breathing exercises that strengthen the diaphragm and relieve the muscles of the neck will help you master the art of proper breathing. Exercise will make the diaphragm muscle more flexible and thus take care of the condition of other organs that are affected by it. Before starting the exercises, you should relax your neck muscles.

Diaphragm breathing exercises

Exercise1

In this exercise, we become aware of what diaphragm breathing is. Lie down on your back on a hard surface. Place one hand on the chest (on the sternum), the other in the center of the chest, between the costal arches. By inhaling air through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, the hands control the movement of the chest, which fills with air. Make sure that when you inhale, the diaphragm collapses towards the abdominal cavity and that the abdominal muscles are emphasized. On exhale, the diaphragm should move towards the chest and the abdomen should collapse. After each inhale, contract your abdominal muscles and hold the air in your chest for a few seconds.

Exercise2

Lying on your back, on a flat and hard surface, place a book (with a noticeable weight) on your stomach. We inhale the air with our nose and our slightly open mouth to lift the book. We hold the air for a few seconds and gently exhale through our mouths so that the book gradually lowers. You can repeat the exercise, diversifying it by saying a long fff or sss sound while exhaling.

Exercise3

We stay supine. We breathe in through our mouths, but very slowly - it should take a few seconds. After inflating the chest with air, we hold our breath for two seconds, then exhale quickly, taking care to exhale firstfrom the lower chest. With each repetition of the exercise, the time of inhaling the air should be extended.

Exercise4

We perform the exercise in a standing position, slightly straddling. We put our hands at the waist on the sides, the thumbs should be on the back. Then we breathe in quickly with our nose and mouth. By tensing the abdominal muscles, we try to hold the air in the lungs for a few seconds and then exhale slowly and evenly. We repeat the exercise with a slight change - when exhaling, we pronounce a long fff or sss.

Exercise5

When we stand apart with our hands on the waist, inhale with our nose and mouth. After you draw air into your lungs, try to hold your breath for a few seconds. Then we exhale slowly through our mouths, but we make a few breaks (pauses) lasting up to three seconds. To diversify the exercise, while exhaling, we pronounce an elongated sound.

Important

What to remember?

  1. For good results, exercise twice a day.
  2. Do not exercise right after eating - it's best to wait an hour or exercise before eating.
  3. Perform the exercises with your head slightly tilted forward.

Exercise6

We are still straddling, but our hands are freely lowered along the body. With a quick, full inhalation, raise your arms to your side. While exhaling slowly, we return our hands to the starting position at the same time.

Exercise7

We will need a candle to practice. We stay standing. We hold a candle in one hand so that the flame is at the level of our mouths (approximately 25 centimeters). Put the other hand on your stomach. We breathe in quickly with our mouth and nose, and then we exhale slowly and evenly - so that the exhaled air deflects the candle flame, but does not extinguish it. The exercise can be repeated with variety - when exhaling, you can change the intensity of exhaling air through your mouth so that the candle flame rises and inclines alternately.

Exercise8

Instead of a candle, you will need a piece of paper (A4). We hold the piece of paper at the same distance from the mouth as the candle, and hold it so that it hangs down. Then we make a series of quick inhalations and exhalations. While exhaling, we try to blow as much as possible on the piece of paper so that it tilts back. When exhaling, you should clearly feel the working diaphragm and abdominal muscles (the hand on the stomach should be pushed back). The important thing in this exercise is not to exhale completely each time, but to leave a small reserve of air in your lungs.

Exercise9

We are standing again. Our hands are based around the waist, with our thumbs at the back. We breathe in fully and quickly with our mouth and nose, while pushing out the belly. When exhaling, try to: count (at least up to 10 and increase this number with time), list the days of the week (at least once), pronounce tongue twisters (e.g. dry road in dry weather).

Exercise10

The starting position is a slight stride, your back straight and your hands resting on the waist. We inhale the air and then exhale it through our noses while leaning forward (bending). We inhale again, but this time slowly with our lips and at the same time return to the standing position.

Advantages of diaphragm breathing

Although most of us breathe in the upper rib cage, we are not aware of the he alth problems it may cause. Shallow breathing can cause, among other things, pain in the neck, head and neck, but also the phenomenon of hyperventilation. The consequence of the domination of thoracic respiration may be dysfunctions of the following systems: digestive, blood, lymphatic, respiratory and even myofascial and skeletal systems.

Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing helps to relieve the spine in the thoracic and lumbar sections, which minimizes the occurrence of sciatica or discopathy and prevents degeneration of the spine. Thanks to the regular movements of the diaphragm, you can avoid problems with blood or lymph stagnation, and thus reduce the risk of varicose veins, edema or cellulite.

Breathing with the diaphragm also helps to fight stress, because it helps to calm down emotions. The diaphragm trained by breathing also strongly supports the spine, which allows you to maintain proper posture and proper gait.

Few people know that by breathing the diaphragm, we massage our internal organs and thus support their proper functioning. This applies, inter alia, to organs in the abdomen responsible for the occurrence of reflux or irritable bowel syndrome. The working diaphragm can save us from this.

Category:

Belly