Indulge us for a moment. Take a deep breath in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, and breath out for four seconds. How did it that make you feel? Probably a little less tightly wound, right? 😃
This is called deep breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing). And it’s something we believe you should take time to do every day. Why? Well, the advantages of doing deep breathing exercises include pain relief, improved blood flow and immunity, lowered stress levels, and better sleep 🤯.
Deep breathing doesn’t have to be complicated, and you can do it just about anywhere, and at any time! Sounds great, right? 🙌
It’s A Natural Painkiller
We’ve spoken before about the kinds of things you can do to relieve pain naturally. Breathing exercises are another thing that can be added to that list 💪. When you breathe deeply, your body automatically releases endorphins, a feel-good hormone 🎉 that relieves pain and makes us feel happier. 😁
It Gives You An Energy Boost
There’s no worse combination than being stressed 😱 and tired 🥱 at the same time. When we take a moment to focus on deep breathing, we naturally increase our blood flow which pumps more oxygen into our blood. And increased oxygen levels mean increased energy levels.
It Detoxifies Your Body
When we breathe shallowly (and if you’re stressed, this is most of the time), the detoxification system in our body must work harder to expel the waste that is caused by carbon dioxide, the natural toxic waste that comes out of our body through breathing.
It Totally Relaxes Your Body
When you are stressed, angry, anxious, tense, or tired, the muscles 💪 in your body become tight and your breathing becomes shallow. This means that your body is not getting enough oxygen to function properly. Taking deep breaths help to reverse this process allowing your body to fully relax 😌.
It Lowers Your Stress Levels
When you become stressed or anxious, your brain releases cortisol, also known as the stress hormone 😫. When you take deep breaths, your heart rate naturally slows down and communicates with your brain 🧠 to relax. Not to mention, you’re getting a good dose of serotonin, as mentioned above, which is a surefire way to feel less stressed!
It Supports Your Immune System
As we’ve said, deep breathing circulates fresh oxygen and exhales out toxins and carbon dioxide. When your blood is oxygenated🩸, it means your vital organs function optimally, including your immune system. A cleaner, toxin-free blood supply helps to ward off infection-causing germs.
A Simple Deep Breathing Exercise To Try
Deep breathing is not something that comes naturally to your body. So, doing deep breathing exercises may feel a bit strange at first 🤔. Like most things, you’ll get it right with practice. Our advice is to try a simple breathing exercise each day and build on that as you go.
You can start by breathing in through your nose and filling your abdomen and chest for five seconds. Hold this breath for three seconds and then slowly and gently release the breath through your mouth for five seconds. Repeat this five times or, even better, for five minutes.
You can adjust these timings to whatever feels comfortable and right for you. The only thing to note would be to not hold your breath for more than seven seconds. When you exhale, try doing so through slightly parted or O-shaped lips.
Why not give it a try and see how deep breathing can help you? 😍
