How To Perform Diaphragmatic Breathing

The Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing is often considered as deeper breathing with various health benefits. It allows for relaxation, improvement of general musculoskeletal health and better vocal habits.

 

The Truth About Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing naturally occurs when you don’t do certain things, not when you try to do things. In order to understand this, you must first learn the basic principle behind breathing.

 

Whenever a person inhales, the person is using diaphragm and intercostal muscles to expand the volume of the thoracic cavity. According to Boyle’s law, an increase in volume leads to a decrease in pressure. Therefore, the expansion of thoracic cavity leads to a decrease in the pressure of air inside the thoracic cavity. This causes the air outside the thoracic cavity to have pressure higher than the air inside the thoracic cavity. According to the laws of physics, gases move from the areas of higher pressure to the areas of lower pressure. Therefore, the aforementioned process causes the air to move passively into the person’s lungs.

 

However, if it’s so simple, why would anyone fail to do diaphragmatic breathing in the first place?

 

That’s because there are two ways of expanding your thoracic cavity. The first is the previously mentioned use of diaphragm and intercostal muscles. The second is the use of what’s called accessory respiratory muscles and these include muscles in your neck and shoulder regions. In essence, if you use your accessory respiratory muscles more than you are supposed to, you can’t do proper diaphragmatic breathing.

 

Therefore, the solution is very simple. If you want to do diaphragmatic breathing, minimize the use of accessory respiratory muscles. Take a deep breath in right now. If your shoulder rises a lot as a result, it is likely that you are not doing diaphragmatic breathing in your daily life.

 

The Solution

While inhaling, try to keep your shoulders and neck as still as possible. However, do not tense the muscles.

 

If you feel like you cannot stop your shoulders from rising and your neck from moving, it is likely because your shoulder and neck muscles are too tense. In that case, try some stretching exercises or resistance exercises to improve your overall posture. If you are having conditions such as rounded shoulder and turtle neck syndrome, it will be very difficult for you to properly do diaphragmatic breathing. In that case, I would highly recommend you to do the exercises that can help you get a better posture.