Benefits of diaphragm breathing

During my morning runs I used to think and observe whether I am doing right breathing. Normally I don't have breathing issues while running. I wanted to know whether my breathing pattern is right and whether this will help me in long runs going forward. I heard from experienced runners diaphragm breathing is good for health. During my long run when I feel dizzy I used to consciously do diaphragm breathing. I wanted to make this breathing as my normal breathing. I need some some search and learnt below few tips which I am going to follow to make my run easy.

Diaphragm is a large dome shaped muscle that is situated at the base of the rib cage; it divides chest from the stomach. When you breathe diaphragmatic, you do so by stretching down your diaphragm and not by expanding your chest bones. When it stretches down, the diaphragm pulls down the lungs and fills them with air. When it gets pushed up, it empties the lungs.

Diaphragmatic breathing has a therapeutic affect: it is deeply relaxing. This way of breathing makes efficient use of the respiratory system: there is least burden on heart and lungs, and there is maximum inter-change of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and the correct balance of oxygen and CO2 is maintained.

This is the most natural and healthy way of breathing that we tend to forget over time; our breathing becomes shallow or irregular or both. For living a healthy and low stress life, it is important to re-learn diaphragmatic breathing. With some practice it will become your normal way of breathing. To check whether you are breathing correctly, take this free breath test.

The benefits of breathing diaphragmatic can be summarized as-

• It triggers relaxation response,
• It improves flow of blood,
• It slows down the rate of breathing, so less energy is consumed in breathing,
• It strengthens the lungs and diaphragm,
• It decreases the demand of oxygen,
• It strengthens the immune system.

Following is a common breathing exercise for practising diaphragmatic breathing. Before starting the exercise, ensure that you are wearing loose and comfortable clothes. Then sit straight on a chair. Your shoulders should be squared but relaxed.

1. Place your right hand on your lower chest and left hand on your abdomen.
2. Slowly inhale through your nose.
3. As you breathe in, your left hand should rise slightly. As you breathe out, it will fall in. There should be little or no movement in your right hand.
4. Keep your inhalations and exhalations of equal duration. Your breathing should be long, slow, and regular. It may take a little practice for breathing to become regular. Allow some unevenness in the beginning.
5. Practice this four to five times. Rest and repeat.