Breathing is the key…. With the day to day hustle and bustle we all have in our lives, sometimes the smallest things that make the biggest difference to our health and well being maybe overlooked. I have one question for you, Do you know how you breathe? For most of us it is short, shallow breathes with the upper body over using certain muscles to include the scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, levator scapulae and upper trapezius. Essentially its breathing from the torso and not using good Diaphragmatic Breathes from the gut/stomach. So this is a real simple way to test your Breathing: -put your hand on your belly -breathe in and then out -if your hand does not move you know you are breathing from the upper body and not the diaphragm. To train yourself to use proper diaphragmatic breathing is not difficult it just takes practice. Start by: -putting your hand back on your stomach -now breathe in allowing the belly to push out and see the hand move with it. -exhale and feel the stomach shrink back down That’s it, that was just one breathe. Start this technique anytime you like while driving(keep both hands on the wheel), sitting at your desk or standing in line at your favorite coffee shop. The more you practice it, the more the body will start naturally allowing Diaphragmatic Breathing to happen. Your body will be taking in more oxygen which is something we all need. You will also benefit from this uptake in Oxygen by increasing your workout performance and burning more fat. If you want to see this type of breathing pattern in action watch an infant/toddler breathe. Their bellies move out and back in, now just think of how much energy they have….wouldn’t we all want more energy like that? Have a Healthy Night! -Mark Anderson CPT
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 01:17:13 +0000
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