How to breathe for better health

Source: FIU News

Calm breathing, as the name implies, helps to calm and relax. Studies show it can reduce tension and anxiety, and improve concentration and memory—all of which are particularly helpful to students as a study aid and for test taking. In contrast, shallow breathing can add to anxiety, muscle tension, and fatigue, and can result in panic attacks and headaches.

Diaphragmatic breathing, also called deep or belly breathing, is done by contracting the diaphragm, a large dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs. It is more efficient than thoracic breathing, also called shallow or chest breathing, which uses the muscles in your upper chest. Breathing is essentially a gas exchange. You inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, a byproduct of the food we eat which the body needs to get rid of, so it doesn’t reach toxic levels.

In biofeedback sessions you can see the actual physiological changes–increased blood flow to the brain and vital organs–that occur during their calm breathing exercises. 

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