Every system in the body, from cognition to digestion, relies on oxygen. And studies show that breathing properly can improve your life in a number of ways. Breathing better can help you sleep better, digest food more efficiently, improve your body's immune response, and reduce stress levels.
According to the American Lung Association, your lungs are fully mature by age 25. But by the time you turn 35, lung health and lung capacity can begin to decline. If you're breathing incorrectly or inefficiently, it can contribute to deteriorating lung function, and this can lead to a whole host of health issues like:
Shortness of breath
High blood pressure
Asthma
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Lung infection (pneumonia)
Bronchitis
But the good news is that there are several simple measures you can take to avoid these problems. Read on to learn what you can do to keep your lungs healthy and functioning at peak capacity for as long as possible. First stop is science.
The science of breathing
What happens when a person breathes
When you breathe in, or inhale, your diaphragm contracts and moves downward. This increases the space in your chest cavity, and your lungs expand into it. The muscles between your ribs also help enlarge the chest cavity. They contract to pull your rib cage both upward and outward when you inhale.
What is the correct way to breathe?
According to the American Lung Association, proper breathing starts in the nose and then moves to the stomach as your diaphragm contracts, the belly expands and your lungs fill with air. "It is the most efficient way to breathe, as it pulls down on the lungs, creating negative pressure in the chest, resulting in air flowing into your lungs."
There are many names for breathing exercises or techniques. Also known as breathwork or pranayama. Pranayama is a Sanskrit term that means subtle life energy that is controlled or housed. Regardless of which term is used, they all offer better health in various forms.
Pursed lip breathing steps
Pursed-lip breathing is also called straw breath because you can practice it by literally breathing through a straw or pretending to do so.
This simple technique will slow down your breathing rate, help you get more fresh air into your lungs, and help to release trapped, stale air. According to Medical News Today, regular practice of this technique can help strengthen your lungs and make them work more efficiently.
Inhale through your nose.
Shape your lips as if there is an ‘invisible straw’.
Slowly exhale through the ‘invisible straw’.
Diaphragmatic breathing steps
Also known as abdominal breathing or belly breathing, diaphragmatic breathing involves consciously engaging the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm as you breathe. With this breathing technique, you actively pull your stomach down with each incoming breath. This helps your lungs fill more efficiently and maximizes lung capacity.
Diaphragmatic breathing is wonderful for helping you to relax and relieve stress. It lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, allows more oxygen into your bloodstream, and lowers the negative effects of the stress hormone cortisol on your body.
To practice diaphragmatic breathing aka belly breathing follow these steps:
Sit comfortably, or lie down on your back and relax your body.
Put one hand on your upper chest and the other hand on your belly.
Breathe in slowly and fill your lungs up completely.
As you inhale, expand your belly. Inhaling deeper, expand your chest, then your collarbones and shoulders.
After the full inhalation, start to exhale as you relax your shoulders, chest, and abdomen.
Repeat seven to ten times, taking deep breaths. Keep your breath long, even, and smooth.
4-7-8 Breathing
The 4-7-8 breathing technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.
Alternate nostril breathing
Alternate nostril breathing is a wonderful technique for balancing your body, mind, and emotions. It centers the mind by bringing the left and right hemispheres of the brain into harmony and balancing the logical and emotional sides of your personality.
Regular practice of this technique also soothes your nervous system and improves your stress response over time.
If you're feeling frazzled at work, or at home, or if you want to settle your mind down before meditation, this is a great breathwork exercise to try.
Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand on your forehead in between the eyebrows. Your ring finger and little finger will close the left nostril, and alternately the thumb will close the right nostril.
Resting the tip of your right index finger and middle finger lightly between the eyebrows, take a deep breath in.
On the exhalation, close the right nostril with your thumb and breathe out through your left nostril.
Inhale slowly through the left nostril, then close the left nostril with your ring finger and breathe out completely through the right nostril.
Breathe in through the right nostril and then close with the thumb, breathe out through the left nostril.
These steps constitute one round of alternate nostril breathing.
Perform five to nine rounds of alternating breath between the nostrils.
Remember to always inhale through the same nostril you just exhaled through.
Keep your breath even, slow, and gentle throughout.
Finish your final round with an exhalation on the left side.
Humming bee breath
Sitting in a chair, with a straight back, in a quiet, well-ventilated space. Gently close your eyes, and keep a gentle smile on your face.
Place your index fingers on the ear cartilage, between your cheek and ear.
Take a breath in with your mouth closed, and as you exhale slowly through the nose, make a humming sound like a bee, gently pressing the cartilage. You can keep the cartilage pressed, or press it in and out with your fingers.
You can make a low-pitched sound, but it’s a good idea to make a high-pitched one for better results.
Inhale again, and continue the same breathing pattern five to nine times.
Keep your eyes closed for some time. Observe the sensations in the body and the quietness within. You may want to sit for meditation.
You can practice bee breath three to nine times every day.
Breath focus technique
The breath focus technique is just another way of saying mindful breathing or breathing with awareness.
Box breathing
Just like its name indicates, box breathing creates a simple square by breathing in for four counts, holding for four, exhaling for four, and again holding for four counts and continuing the pattern. Box breathing is known more for its relaxing qualities than for improving your lung capacity.
Ujjayi breathing
Ujjayi means victory, and this breath not only helps you improve your breathing but also overcome too many thoughts. Here’s an excellent YouTube video that explains ujjayi breathing and how to do it. The longer your breaths are while using ujjayi, the stronger your lungs will become.
Skull shining breath
This breathing technique also has dual benefits. Besides improving your normal breathing and strengthening the lower lobe of your lungs, skull-shining breath can assist with weight loss and improve elimination. In Sanskrit, this is called kapalbhati pranayama.
Tips for healthy breathing and lungs
Breathe through your nose
The majority of breathwork practices require you to breathe through your nose. Why is that? You know those tiny little annoying nose hairs inside your nostrils? They are a built-in filtration system that catches impurities when you breathe in through the nose. And, the mouth just isn’t built for inhalations. Too much mouth breathing can cause tooth decay and gum disease.
Use your belly
If you have ever seen a young child breathe, you know their tummies expand when they breathe in. This enables them to bring in more oxygen more efficiently. So instead of holding your stomach in when you breathe, let it expand to breathe easier and enjoy more oxygen! Belly breathing RULES!
Maintain a healthful lifestyle
Some of the most important factors in living a healthy life include:
Healthy movements like walking and yoga
Well balanced diet with lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains
Drink enough water
Regular access to fresh air
Proper sleep
Practice breathing and meditation
Monitor the air quality
You don’t have to live in a city to experience poor air quality. These days poor air quality is an issue for greater numbers of people. The easiest way to monitor the air quality is to use a weather app. When you receive alerts for air pollution, stay inside or at least wear an N95 mask.
Improve indoor air quality
There are lots of air purifiers on the market, but you can also improve your indoor air quality by using natural cleaners and growing house plants.
Lose weight
The more weight we carry the more likely that our lungs will strain to keep us breathing. Take a multi-pronged approach and lose weight gradually to improve your breathing. Don’t forget to include shining skull breathing in your daily routine!
Get moving
One of the easiest ways to improve your lung capacity is to move. Or in other words, do not sit too much! This might be a challenge if your job has you sitting most of the day. But the reality is most of us sit too much. Go for a brisk walk or take the stairs to remind your lungs to breathe deeply.
10 natural ways to improve your breathing
Breathwork
This is a no-brainer! Breathwork works! Use any of the above techniques to improve your breathing every day!
Meditation
How does meditation help you breathe? As long as the meditation practice includes breathwork you will see improvements in your breathing. The best example of this is SKY Breath Meditation.
Change your sleeping position
If you sleep on your back or your belly you might want to switch to sleeping on your side, specifically your left side.
Practice good posture
A hunched-over spine compresses your rib cage and lungs. Standing and sitting up straight expands the ribcage giving your lungs plenty of room to breathe properly.
Singing
Singers are known for their breath control. Diaphragmatic breathing and pursed lips breathing are two of the suggested techniques for singers. But just singing around the house will help you to breathe better.
Stretching
Yoga poses offer one of the best kinds of stretching for expanding lung capacity. Add these postures to your daily routine.
You’ve probably heard of sunbathing at the beach, but have you heard of forest bathing? Some of the cleanest air can be found in forests. If you don’t have a forest nearby, a home air filtration system may be helpful, especially if you have respiratory health issues.
Essential oils
Whether you use a reed diffuser or a simmer pot, essential oils can have an impact on your lung health. Try eucalyptus, peppermint, frankincense, cinnamon, tea tree, or camphor oils for better breathing.
Eat nutrient-rich foods
You've heard it before, "You are what you eat." So if you want to be healthy, it’s best to eat nutrient-rich foods. Try incorporating dark leafy greens, tomatoes, olive oil, pumpkin, and blueberries into your diet. All these foods have been shown to improve lung function.
Three-stage breathing (taught through the Art of Living)
SKY Breath Meditation
How to breathe better with the Art of Living
Fortunately for you, the Art of Living Foundation are breathing experts when it comes to improving your life! The SKY Breath Meditation course is filled with breathwork exercises aimed at relieving stress and increasing your lung capacity! You will learn powerful techniques like three-stage breathing, bellows breath, and SKY Breath Meditation.
Learn more about SKY and how to breathe better by joining a free meditation and breath session. Just click the image below to find a time that works for you.
Denise Everheart is a freelance writer, life-long meditator, SKY Breath Meditation instructor, party planner, veg chef, and recipe designer. Follow her @everheartstudio4meditation and @celeplateyourlife on Instagram.
