Belly Breathing Isn't The Answer
At one time or another, I am sure someone has told you to breathe deeply into your belly. Maybe it was a yoga instructor, trainer, therapist, or Instagram Influencer. "Inhale deeply into the belly and exhale slowly. Ahhhh. Doesn’t that feel good?" I used to give everyone the same script. But guess what, we are teaching it wrong. And this should cause some level of concern, not a mid-life crisis, but enough to keep you reading.
Why Is Deep Breathing Important?
On average, we breathe 20,000 times per day. Dysfunctional breathing patterns influence poor posture, anxiety, and movement. Whereas proper breathing mechanics help restore it. The core muscles play a significant role in breathing.
Transverse Abdominis (TVA)
The deepest abdominal muscle of the group. The TVA wraps around the spine horizontally like a belt or corset. It attaches to the pelvis and the front side of the ribs. Its main function is exhalation and spinal stability
Internal Obliques (IOs)
The IOs run closer to the surface than the TVA but deeper than the other abdominal muscles. The IOs aid in ipsilateral (same side) bending and rotation. But I believe their main function, just like the TVA, is to help with exhalation and spinal stability by closing down the torso's front side.
External Obliques (EOs)
Now we are starting to get to the sexy muscles. The external obliques look good and play a vital role in torso stability. They attach to the front side of the ribs and pelvis. Their main function is to produce and resist rotation and bending of the torso. Also, they help with pelvic stability and exhalation. But I believe these functions are secondary to rotation and bending.
The deep core muscles are loaded with type I muscle fibers (1). These fibers have high endurance capacity and low force generation. Thus, type I fibers don’t need much of a stimulus. They can be strengthened through breathing (1). And since we breathe over 20,000 times a day, we have 20,000 opportunities to train the core.
“Deep breathing significantly increased activity in the external obliques, internal obliques, and multifidus compared with normal breathing.” (1)
Further, a systematic review of 15 articles found deep breathing led to increased comfort, relaxation, pleasantness, vigor and alertness, and reduced symptoms of arousal, anxiety, depression, anger, and confusion (2). Remember, all of these benefits are free. You have to be able to breathe correctly. And no, the answer isn’t, “breathe into the belly.”
Balloon Breathing
The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle for breathing. To make sense of it, picture it as a parachute. Upon inhalation, the parachute will compress and descend downwards, pulling air into the torso. And then, with the help of the core musculature, it will ascend and push air out of the body (see below).
When you breathe correctly, the body should expand horizontally in all directions, not just the stomach. The rib cage, chest, and spine must expand to allow the lungs to fill with air. Next, the sides, back, and stomach will expand due to the inhalation of oxygen. Does that make sense? If not, close your eyes and think of an empty balloon. Now, imagine the balloon being filled up with air. Does the air in the balloon push into the front side only, or does it fill everywhere? If that still didn’t make sense, then the video below should clear some things up.
According to my clients, breathing into the backside is the most challenging. I have found the two exercises below to be very helpful. They will help you learn how to breathe into your whole core, not just the belly. With the improved breathing pattern, posture and core strength will improve. Breathing isn’t the sexiest or most exciting thing, but it is one of the most important things. Deep breathing is no different than any other skill. It just requires practice.