Are Your Breathing Properly?
To find out if you are breathing properly:
- Lie flat on your back, stand up straight, or sit up straight in a chair.
- Place your hand just below your ribs, on your abdomen.
- Breathe as you normally do.
- Notice: Does your hand on your abdominal area rise? Or does your upper chest rise? (You may even feel your shoulders rise slightly.)
- If your abdomen rises and your chest stays relatively flat, you are breathing properly.
- If your abdomen barely moves and your chest rises, you are not breathing properly and need to practice the breathing exercise described below.
Learning to Breathe Properly
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. (Although you can do this exercise while sitting or standing, it’s easiest to practice by lying down at first.)
- Place your hands on your abdomen.
- Breathe in through your nose, counting to four. Picture a balloon in your belly that you’re inflating with the air you are inhaling. Your hands should rise as your abdomen fills with air.
- Hold the breath for a few seconds.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, counting to four. Picture letting the air out of your belly balloon. Your hands should go down as your abdomen deflates.
Practice this exercise for a minimum of five minutes at a time, at least two or three times a day. You’ve probably been breathing improperly for a long time, so it may take awhile to retrain your body to breathe properly without you thinking about it. Some exercise techniques such as yoga, Pilates, and tai chi stress proper breathing techniques and can be particularly helpful in training your body to breathe correctly.
Sources:
Podell, Richard. “Reversing Eight Vicious Cycles that Block Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Healing.” ImmuneSupport.com. 5/10/07.
Crimer, Patti. “Fibromyalgia gains relief from Body/Mind and Spirit Exercise.” NFA Online Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 18. 10/9/03.
Hibbard, Dawn. “The Final Frontier – The Human Brain.” Kettering University. 9/2/04
“Breathe Deeply.” The Oasis Institute. 6/1/04.
Last Updated: 6/30/2007
