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How to Breathe for Health
​by Karla Beatty

Do you feel too tense to even take a clear breath? Learn how to improve your breathing. Feel better, have more energy.
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To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.   
                          —William Londen

10 Simple Steps to Breathing Better

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Breathing freely and deeply can set you on the path to better health. To breathe in and out is basic. It’s automatic and natural. Breathing correctly has benefits for many systems in the body. Most people can easily learn these ten simple steps to breathe in a healthy way.


1. Sit Quietly
Find a comfortable position. Sit upright in a chair or lie down on your back. Turn off the phone, close the door, and avoid any kind of interruption. Bring your attention to your whole body at rest.
2. Test Your Breathing Style
Place one hand on your chest. Place the other hand on your abdomen. Take a few natural, easy breaths. Pay attention to which hand moves more. If the hand on your chest moves more, you are likely taking short, shallow breaths. When the hand on your belly moves in and out, you are taking deeper breathes from the diaphragm
3. Inhale Through Nose
Leave the mouth closed and take in a slow breath through the nose. Breathe in to the belly so that the hand on the abdomen rises. This is diaphragmatic breathing or “belly breathing.”
4. Count to Four
Inhale slowly and easily. Count to 4 as you breathe in through the nose gently. Breathing in the nose warms the air before it reaches the lungs. It also allows the nose hairs to filter out impurities instead of taking them into the lungs.
5. Exhale Through Lips
Purse your lips as if you are about to whistle. Press down the belly muscles to push out the air. Allow the breath to slowly leave through pursed lips. 
6. Count to Eight
As you exhale, count to 8. The slower exhale should take about twice as long as the inhale. Breathing out through pursed lips slows the breath and expels more carbon dioxide to better oxygenate the blood.
7. Exhale Thoroughly
When you breathe out, use your belly muscles to push out all of the air. This allows all new fresh air to refill the lungs on the next breath in. When you don’t exhale fully, too little air is replaced. A complete exhale allows for a full inhale.
8. Mind Wanders
If your mind wanders, just draw your attention back to your breaths and continue the counting, four inhale, eight exhale. It is natural for the mind to wander. Just keep bringing it back and focusing on breathing in and out.
9. Stop and Relax
When you stop the patterned breathing, don’t jump right up and get active. Allow yourself some time to relax and feel the calm.
10. Practice Every Day
Whenever you can, practice this belly breathing for 5 deep breaths or more, increasing the time as you gain experience. It is also a good idea to check in periodically throughout the day and take a few good deep breaths, no matter what you are doing.

Picture
Practicing belly breathing makes your diaphragm stronger. It’s ironic, but most of us do naturally breathe from the diaphragm when we are sleeping. Then we change to shallow chest breathing after we wake and get moving. Paying attention to your breathing can help you to change to more healthy breathing habits.
Note: If you have breathing difficulties, such as asthma or CoPD, you may want to find out more about your total breath capacity. A healthcare professional can administer a spirometry test to find out your lung function numbers.

Making a conscious effort to learn proper breathing habits has many health dividends. Want to learn more? Read this article about the benefits of belly breathing.

Did you enjoy these steps to better breathing? Read more articles about health and wellness at Well-Being.

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DISCLAIMER  The content on SimpleTens is for educational purposes only and designed to support minor health issues, not to replace medical or psychiatric treatment. If you are concerned about a health issue, please see a health professional. Please read the full Disclaimer.

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  • Home
    • Index of Articles
    • About
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
  • Meditation
    • Sitting Meditation
    • Walking Meditation Basic Techniques
    • Walking Meditation Benefits
    • Meditation Breathing
    • Meditation Posture
    • Breathing: On Counting Breaths
    • Practicing: On Meditation Practice
    • Bellows Breathing
    • Mindfulness of Breathing
    • Buddhism 101: The Grand Illusion
  • LifeStyle
    • Mind and Spirit >
      • How To Be Happy
      • Pope's Tips for a Happier Life
      • Happiness If-Onlys
      • What is Love
      • Psychic Protection in Crowds
    • Work Abundance >
      • Jobs Using the Internet
      • Be a Team Player
      • Time for a New Career?
      • Be More Productive
    • People Connection >
      • 10 Nice Things You Can Do for Your Neighbors
      • Live a Long Life
      • Mini-Tens >
        • Funny Tens >
          • Cheesy Pick Up Lines
          • Pick Up Lines for Scientists
    • Food for Life >
      • Lacy Baked Cheese Crisps
      • Healthy Snack Kale Chips
      • An Apple a Day
      • Become a Vegan
      • Tips for a Vegan Diet
      • Juice Cleanse
      • Juice Cleanse Recipes
    • Expanding World >
      • Travel First-Aid Kit
      • 10 Ways to Relieve Stress
  • Creative Arts
    • You Can Do It >
      • Oil Painting Brushes
      • How To Hold a Paint Brush
      • Painting with a Painter's Knife
      • How To Hold a Painting Knife
      • Use a Painting Knife: Textures and Marks
      • Sketchbooks for Artists
      • Be Creative With Your Photographs
      • Warm Up the Voice for Singing
      • How To Write A Haiku Poem
      • Listen to Music
    • Creativity Matters >
      • Traits of Creative People
      • Jobs for Creatives
      • Joyful Music
      • Funniest Songs
    • Arts Appreciated >
      • Vincent Van Gogh Insights into Creativity
      • Brilliant Quotes for Artists
      • History of Botanical Illustration
      • Haiku Poetry of Basho
  • Nature
    • Environment >
      • Sow Bugs in Vegetable Gardens
      • Sow Bugs and Diatomaceous Earth
      • Organic Pest Control
      • Organic Lawn Care
      • Feeding and Weeding Organic Lawn Care
      • Compost Tea
      • Making Compost Tea
      • 10 Steps to Organic Lawn Care
      • Ground Covering Plants
      • Electric Vehicles Benefits
      • Recycling Paper Benefits
      • Save Energy and Natural Resources
      • Wind Mill Turbines
    • Natural World >
      • Survive an Earthquake
      • Survive a Landslide
      • Tsunamis Start With Little Warning
      • Coyotes and People Encounters
      • Domesticated Insects
    • Your World Outdoors >
      • Spiritual Experiences in Nature
      • Natural Tick Prevention
      • Tailgate Parties Go Green
  • Well-Being
    • Self-Care Vitality >
      • Muscle Relaxation Head and Back
      • Progressive Muscle Relaxation
      • How to Breathe
      • Breathe Deeply Health Benefits
      • High Heels Are Hurting Me
      • Natural Skin Care Tips
      • Dry Brush Skin Exfoliation
    • Alternative Medicine >
      • Natural First Aid Kit
      • CoQ10 for Vibrant Health
      • Rhodiola, a Natural Herbal Alternative
      • 10 Natural Home Remedies for Bee Stings
      • Safe Tick Repellent
      • Natural Deodorants Lose Underarm Odor
    • Fitness Your Way >
      • Motivational Quotes for Fitness and Exercise
      • Cardio Exercise for the Lazy
      • Motivational Quotes to Lose Weight
      • 10 Ways to Boost Metabolism
      • Fatigue Fighters Boost Energy
    • Food As Medicine >
      • Foods That Fight Cancer
      • Honey as Medicine
    • Tens Devices >
      • TENS Units
      • Comparison of TENS and EMS
  • Contact