Learning to breathe correctly can help prevent pre-diabetes
People in general, breathe poorly though no fault of their own. Although breathing is a natural thing for us to do, we have been doing it wrong for most of our lives. It’s time to learn how to do it right.
Causes of our poor breathing habits
Breathing incorrectly stems from several factors with stress being at the top of the list. You see, when we are in a stressful situation rapid respiration is one of the ways we prepare our bodies to deal with the stress. Others ways being a faster heart rate, constricted blood vessels and increase muscle tension.
If we remain in a state of constant stress for extended periods of time it will cause us to become shallow breathers which can lead to many unhealthy conditions.
Another cause of poor breathing originated in school. If you remember from your early days in gym class we were taught to breathe incorrectly by sucking air into our lungs and puffing up our chests while doing so . . . like soldiers at attention. By doing this we are only using the upper portion of our lungs and not the lower portion where proper air exchange takes place.
A third cause of incorrect breathing is copying the habits of those we spend time with. If the people we associate with regularly don’t have good breath control then chances are we will end up with the same pattern. Ever notice when someone in a crowded room yawns . . . at least one or more persons will copy them.
Ever notice how a slouching person breathe with their mouth open. This happens because their posture doesn’t allow for unimpeded breathing. This probably started in their younger years and was never corrected so it became an accepted way to replenish the oxygen so desperately need.
Being overweight puts a lot of pressure on our breathing mechanism – from the way we inhale to how we expel air from our lungs. Our breathing becomes labored. Without blood carrying oxygen throughout our bodies it’s no wonder we develop things like neuropathy and skin discoloration.
If you smoke then it’s time to make an all out effort to give it up. Emphysema, bronchitis and other breathing difficulties are a result of inhaling carcinogens into our bodies.
If you live in cities with heavy air pollution try to go out in the earlier parts of the day when the air is cleaner. Limit heavy outdoor activities such as running and yard work to the mornings.
These are but a few of the reasons we breathe poorly. Others include being put of shape and specific injuries affecting respiration How can we reverse this trend and enjoy better breath control and thus better health?
Benefits of breathing correctly
When we learn to breathe correctly we will lower our blood pressure, reduce stress and improve our mental state. That’s a lot of immediate positive results from making one small change in a poor habit.
But there is more.
Good breath control supplies vital energy to our bodies so we can cleanse and heal it. If you are a smoker with pre-diabetes you are constantly choking off the rich supply of energy which helps to burn more fat from around your visceral organs – heart, lungs kidneys, liver and etc.. Imagine if you stopped how much better you would feel?
Learning to breathe properly will help your lungs to massage the organs around them when you inhale and exhale. If you work at a sedentary desk job you could benefit from this.
If you suffer from respiratory problems – such as bronchitis, asthma – learning to breathe correctly will improve your condition.
When doing strenuous exercises such as Hiit weight training, good breathing will allow you to do more weights at higher reps. This translates in improve muscle strength and stability.
There are lots more benefits as you can imagine but let’s find out to breathe correctly.
How to breathe correctly
We will need to retrain ourselves to breathe properly.
The very first step in the process is to know and recognize your current pattern in different situations – when relaxing, exercising, or under stress.
Because we take for granted this natural bodily function we will have to remind ourselves to take a moment and focus on the way we are inhaling and exhaling. Set a timer for yourself to stop whatever you are doing and check your breathing periodically during the day. Initially, do this ever hour and half and extend the time as you get better at it.
We must become nose breathers and not mouth inhalers and exhalers. This is the purpose of our nostril. It helps to filter the air we take in unlike mouth breathers who take in unfiltered air. Your mouth is meant to talk and chew food not breathe.
Visit with your doctor to access your health status and to make sure there are no underlying health issues. If there are . . . take care of them immediately. Follow your doctors directions.
When breathing you should see your belly moving up and down and not your chest.
If you have an opportunity – observe how a baby breathes. This is how we used to breathe before we became shallow chest breathers.
Take in air through your nostrils and feel it going down to the bottom of your lungs. It should take 3 to 4 seconds to inhale and about 4 seconds to expel the CO2 from your lungs.
If you are suffering from a chest cold or flu this type of breathing should make you feel better. It may be best to sit up while practicing deep breathing exercises if your nostrils are blocked up. This tends to open up the air passages so you can have better air exchange.
Practice deep breathing as often as possible during the day.
Retrain yourself to breathe correctly and you can prevent pre-diabetes. Use any device as mentioned above – your phone, a cooking timer or a phone service – to reminder you yo stop and take deep breaths during the day. You will feel the difference within a short time.
Having diabetes is no joke. The consequences can be life threatening. Take steps to prevent it from happening to you. Visit How to Prevent Pre-diabetes now for more tips and information that can literally a lifesaver.