Don’t take breathing for granted – harness the power of oxygen to improve health and wellbeing

On average we take around 20,000 breaths a day but generally it’s only when we’re short of breath, such as during exercise, that we notice our breathing.

But while we’re all familiar with the advice to ‘take a deep breath’ before tackling a tricky task, did you know that unleashing the hidden power of breath can improve your health and wellbeing?

“Breathing is key to maintaining a relaxed and tranquil approach to life, helps reduce stress levels and can boost exercise performance,” says Dr Sarah Brewer, award-winning medical author.

“Unfortunately, over the years, many people develop poor breathing habits, such as deep sighs, gasps, breath-holding or rapid, shallow breathing that can all undermine wellbeing.”

And, she points out, very few of us breathe properly unless we’re taught how to do it. Many people, for instance, she says, are ‘upside-down’ breathers, who only breathe into the upper area of the lungs, yet it’s the lower lobes where the most blood vessels are and which enable more oxygen to be drawn in and carried around the body.

Posture may also affect breathing – sitting hunched over a desk or keyboard can compress the diaphragm making it harder for air to travel into the abdomen, so we’re forced to breathe into the upper chest.

Stressful situations can commonly result in shallow, faster, more irregular breathing, says Dr Brewer.

“This is nature’s time-honoured way of helping us draw in more oxygen so our muscles have a good supply when we need to ‘fight’ or flee from dangerous situation,” says Dr Brewer.

“But in our modern lifestyles there’s generally little need for that sudden physical effort to get away from a problem, we’re more likely to be reacting to internal mental stress, and so that rapid breathing can mean we exhale too much carbon dioxide. This can make people feel worse as it may lead to them feeling dizzy, faint, or even result in panic attacks.”

Research also confirms that breathing is crucial – it suggests that the brain needs around 20pc of the oxygen in the blood to work efficiently.

And studies have found that slow breathing can be hugely effective for women to minimise emotional and physical pain, and the Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, found deep breathing can slash stress levels by up to 40pc immediately.

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