We do things to improve our diets, hydration and shelter but most of us do nothing to improve the most important thing. Why not? Probably because we figure we've got breathing down pretty good already. I mean, we are all alive, right? So something in there is working. And since breathing happens unconsciously, we may not think it is something we can even consciously improve.
But really, our respiratory muscles are just like all the other muscles. We can train them over and over again to get stronger and when your breathing muscles are stronger, they become more efficient and your stamina increases.
So how do you build those respiratory muscles? First, you gotta know what they actually are. We usually talk about breathing in terms of lungs and lung power but while they extract oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the lungs don't actually drive breathing at all. This is done mainly by the diaphragm. It's a like a little jellyfish head or shower cap that sits below the lungs and attaches to the lower rib cage, going all the way around, and can fill up about 4-5 inches, expanding the ribs. A lot of important things go through the diaphragm, including the aorta, esophagus, vena cava, frantic nerve, psoas muscles.
When we are first born, we breathe very well through our diaphragms. Then as we get older, we tend to start breathing more through our chests. I would guess this is due to a combination of doing lots of sitting, developing bad posture, and I think we kind of get it into our heads that deep breaths = chest breaths, maybe because when we go to the doctor and they listen to our lungs, they put the stethoscope on our backs and tell us to breath into the chest. Another big one for many of us is that we don't like the feeling of our bellies sticking out. We tend to want to do the opposite - suck in our guts.
What's wrong with vertical breathing up through our chests? Nothing wrong, per se, just inefficient. It takes about 4-6 vertical breaths to equal the oxygen intake of 1 good horizontal breath. Horizontal breaths also lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, gets rid of oxidative stress better, supports posture and proper organ function, and even lowers your center of gravity helping with balance. Plus, vertical breathing requires your neck and shoulders to move, which takes some energy and yes, even requires more oxygen.
So why are our bodies so stupid to not automatically breathe efficiently? The chest breath certainly has value. It is a quicker breath, which sometimes we need in times of high stress and can even stimulate our adrenaline flow. When our heart rate increases dramatically and we go into fight or flight mode, taking in long, diaphragmatic breaths may be difficult or impossible, so switching to chest breathing makes sense in these situations. But those situations are not the norm (hopefully) and are meant to be short. We're being chased by a bear, gotta run as fast as possible for 20 seconds, then hide, then recover.
What about during a fight, like in boxing? Does vertical breathing make sense here since it is kind of like being chased by a bear? No! You would generally work very hard in a boxing round, maybe even fighting for your life, and performing anaerobically (where oxygen doesn't matter) at times, but adrenaline is something you do not want in that kind of a fight, neither physically or mentally. It is solely meant for short bursts (followed by extreme tiredness) and your adrenaline mindset is a panicked mindset, which is also no good. You want to stay calm, cool and collected under fire and as much oxygen running through your bloodstream as possible.
When your arms and legs feel heavy and tired, that is oxygenated blood leaving your limbs to support your breathing muscles, as again, they are the #1 priority of your body. The more efficient you breathe and stronger your breathing muscles are, less oxygenated blood will have to leave other parts and the less tired you feel. Then you want to recover in between rounds and this is where horizontal, diaphragmatic breathing is most important. Your breathing can and will get interrupted during the rounds but in between, you can focus purely on deep, steady, centering breaths.
Practicing horizontal breathing is key. But it's not necessarily comfortable. Like anything else though, the more you practice, the more natural it starts to get. Start by taking in as much air as you can through your nose, flaring your nostrils just to make sure. As mentioned, you want that air to go right into your diaphragm and you will know this is happening by your belly expanding and sticking out. Eventually, you can get it to expand in all directions but start by focusing on just the front. Some people do things like lie down and put a book on top of their bellies to see that it is rising but you can also just use your hand. Then make sure to blow it all out through your mouth. You will/should notice that you seem to blow out more than you take in, or at least for longer. You may also feel somewhat lightheaded at first but if it starts to become a big distraction or issue, I would guess you are are either not inhaling enough or exhaling enough. Practice for a few minutes at a time on your own and during recovery moments in your workout.
Besides being the best way to recover between rounds, this kind of breathing can also be very useful to you in times of high stress or anxiety that doesn't involve being chased by a bear or immediate physical danger. Try it the next time you are stressed out or mad about something. Always remember that just like anything else, you can always breathe better and the better you breathe, the better you are. Make sure to stay away from bears while you are at it.
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