How to breathe to achieve physiological changes in your body

There are several methods where you can use breathing to achieve significant changes inside and outside your body.

To get a clearer idea of ​​which method may be best for you, learn about the benefits that this practice can bring you and which one you may need.

Benefits of breathing techniques

Stress reduction

The intensity of work, submission to work deadlines and other obligations, family burdens and more, make modern life a constant challenge for physical, mental and emotional balance. 

Breathing techniques would work as a counterweight to find your balance again and be able to face the challenges of each day. A controlled breathing rhythm allows you to calm anxiety, promote mental clarity and better manage stress.

 

They induce relaxation quickly

A breathing technique can calm you down in just a few minutes, allowing tense muscles in your body to release and your mind to clear.

 

Improve sleep quality

Research has shown that slow breathing techniques provide a variety of positive effects for the mind and body, including improved sleep quality and duration. ( 1 )

Breathing exercises can help produce what is known as the relaxation response (RR) which can help you fall and stay asleep.

 

Improve the functioning of the immune system

Breathing exercises have been shown to provide a relaxing response (RR) and some experiments have identified among participants an improvement in the expression of genes associated with energy metabolism , mitochondrial function, insulin secretion and telomere maintenance (a kind of identifiers of aging); while the expression of genes linked to the inflammatory response and stress-related pathways was reduced.

 

They can improve hypertension in adults

Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps it throughout the body. When blood pressure is too high and left untreated, it can lead to health problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and vision loss, among others, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

According to a review of 13 studies published in 2021, Voluntary deep diaphragmatic breathing produced a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a reduction in heart rate, a relaxing effect, and a reduction in anxiety in hypertensive or prehypertensive individuals. It was concluded that voluntary diaphragmatic breathing at <10 or 6 breaths per minute for 10 min twice daily for 4 weeks was effective in producing positive outcomes. ( 2 )

 

Effects on the endocrine system

Some hormones control respiration at peripheral chemoreceptors or have local effects on the lungs and airways. Estrogen and progesterone appear to protect against sleep-disordered breathing, whereas testosterone may predispose to sleep-disordered breathing. Progesterone and thyroxine have long been known to stimulate respiration. More recently, several hormones, such as corticotropin-releasing hormone and leptin, have been suggested to act as respiratory stimulants. ( 3 )

According to a publication in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience , a review of studies concluded that practicing breathing exercises increases autonomic, cerebral and psychological flexibility in a scenario of mutual interactions, that is, it would facilitate the links between parasympathetic activity related to emotional control and psychological well-being in healthy people.

These psychophysiological changes induced by breathing control would most likely be related to a voluntary regulation of internal body states known as Interoception, which are not accessed under normal conditions.

 

Breathing exercises can help with weight loss

A study conducted on 40 women found that by performing the Senobi practice , the excretion of hormones through urine increased, as well as sympathetic nervous activity (responsible for the body's response to the fight or flight stimulus. ( 4 )

Furthermore, obese participants who repeated the exercise regularly for one month experienced a significant reduction in body fat.

Another study with 38 people who used the diaphragmatic breathing technique experienced higher resting metabolic rate, which may induce greater weight loss. ( 5 )

Finally, a study conducted with 82 people for 8 weeks indicated that practicing breathing exercises for 45 minutes, 3 times a week significantly reduced weight and body mass index compared to the control group. ( 6 )

Note: In this last experiment the Yoga Pranayama technique was used.

 

The most popular breathing techniques and how to perform them

Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, also called abdominal breathing or deep breathing, is a type of breathing where we primarily use the action of the diaphragm.

• Lie down on a bed or flat surface, placing a pillow under your knees. Make sure your head, neck and spine are in a straight line.
• Place one hand on the upper chest and the other on the abdomen, placing the little finger above the navel. This will allow you to control the movements.
• Inhale slowly through your nose, so that the hand on your abdomen feels the pressure of the abdomen rising. The hand on your chest should remain still. The inhalation should NOT be so deep that you hyperventilate.
• Take a short pause, holding your breath, before exhaling.
• Slowly exhale through your mouth, so that you feel your abdominal muscles descend. Remember that the hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.
• Repeat this procedure 3 to 10 times, up to 3-4 times a day, if possible.

 

Pranayama

Dirgha pranayama is often referred to as three-part breathing. It involves briefly interrupting inhalations and/or exhalations with pauses, which helps to raise awareness and expand lung capacity.

• Lie in a reclined position, either on your back or supported by pillows, blocks, blankets, or a combination of these items.

• Inhale to one-third of your lung capacity and pause for two to three seconds.

• Inhale another third, pause again, and inhale until your lungs are full.

• Pause and repeat the pattern on the exhale, exhaling the breath in thirds.

You can also practice pausing only on the inhalation and releasing all the air on one exhalation, or vice versa: inhale deeply and exhale in three parts.

 

Senobi Technique

Image from the online magazine www.cuerpomente.com

They call it the weight loss breathing technique because of the results obtained in the studies I mentioned above.

This breathing exercise, which combines breathing and muscle stretching, is part of the ancient Japanese medical tradition and was proposed by Dr. Toshihiko Kawamura, professor at Niigata University (Japan) as an option for people who are not in a condition to perform demanding physical activity or do not wish to do so. Senobi breathing is performed standing or sitting before each meal.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.

Step 2: Extend your arms upward (fingers interlaced and palms facing the ceiling. 

Step 3: Move your head back and look at your hands.  Then inhale slowly for 5 seconds.

Step 4: Then exhale forcefully for 5-7 seconds, stretching all the muscles in your body. Take 3 full breaths while maintaining this posture, which corresponds to 30 seconds.

Step 5: Rest for a few seconds and start again. Repeat this procedure for 2-10 minutes, depending on your ability.

 

Square breathing

Also known as box breathing, this is a very simple breathing method that follows a "square" pattern. Inhale for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, and repeat this breathing pattern.

 

Buteyko technique

In 1957, Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Buteyko observed that unhealthy people have noticeable breathing at rest. They tend to breathe through their mouths, using the upper part of their chest, with a higher than normal respiratory rate and volume.

Healthy people, on the other hand, have regular, effortless and calm breathing at rest. They breathe through their nose, driven by the diaphragm and with a normal respiratory rate and volume.

Over the course of four decades, Dr. Buteyko developed a program designed to normalize respiratory volume. By taking slow breaths and holding your breath after exhalation, the goal is to take less air into the lungs. With regular practice over a few weeks, breathing becomes normal, resulting in improvement in a number of common ailments such as asthma, rhinitis, anxiety, panic attacks, and sleep disorders.

Steps:

- After a relaxed exhalation, hold your breath.

- Cover your nose with your index finger and thumb.

- Hold your breath for as long as possible, which is usually twice the length of the control pause.

- When you have reached the point of moderate discomfort, inhale.

- Breathe normally for at least 10 seconds.

- Repeat it several times.

 

Wim Hof ​​Method

Breathing exercises are only one of the three aspects of the Wim Hof ​​method. These breathing exercises are often accompanied by exposure to cold (a shower or bath with ice water) and a commitment to achieving the results that the method promotes. 

In reality, it is a meditation where the breathing exercises are preparatory for shock experiences such as cold showers and to maintain this state requires controlled breathing as learned during the breathing exercises.  For this reason, it is advisable, but not mandatory, to first perform the breathing exercises and then move on to cold therapy.

Steps:

• Lie down or assume a relaxed posture.
• Take 30 deep breaths in and out (this may make you a little drunk and make your head spin, but that's fine), inhaling as much as you can, but not exhaling completely, without pausing between inhalations.
• After 30 or 40 deep breaths, exhale and hold your breath for as long as you can while remaining calm (you'll be surprised how long you can hold your breath).
• When you can't take it anymore, take a deep breath and hold it for 15 seconds. Then exhale and repeat the entire cycle again 3-10 times.

As you can see, there are breathing techniques that emphasize different aspects and/or personal needs.  Choose yours and feel free to practice it!