Most people don't have good breathing: here's how to breathe well

Why am I breathing wrong?

Do you get a little taller when you breathe in and come back down when you breathe out? If so, you are not breathing in sync with your body. Yet 80 percent of people breathe this wrong way - but it's not entirely their own fault.

Children up to age 5 often have good breathing. So what happens after that? The way most children breathe changes when they are between the ages of 5 and 10. From breathing in the lower body to breathing in the upper body. But this is not proper breathing.

There are a number of reasons for this. Children go to school and sit a lot. This affects their posture and eventually their breathing. It can also happen that as a child you get an injury that prevents you from breathing from your lower body without pain. Or, as a child in adolescence, you may start wearing compression garments or bras that no longer allow you to breathe freely.

The importance of proper breathing

Breathing through your upper body - raising your shoulders and lengthening on the inhale - causes your body to go into the fight-or-flight response. You become more anxious, suffer from neck and shoulder pain and digestive problems. You can recognize from these signs that you are breathing incorrectly:

• You hold your breath
• You feel short of breath
• You feel the need to take long, deep breaths
• You are quickly out of breath
• You breathe quickly

Proper breathing ensures that your body and mind can both function properly. After all, these need sufficient oxygen. Good breathing ensures:

• Better overall health
• More endorphins (happiness hormone)
• Relaxed muscles
• Lowered heart rate and blood pressure
• Better handling of emotions and fears
• Energy can flow more easily through the body
• Reduced feelings of anxiety, depression and stress
• Better focus
• Feeling more alive and energized

How do you breathe properly?

Breathing properly, deeply fits the rest of your body anatomically. But how do you breathe properly?

Sit up straight with your feet on the floor without your back touching the backrest. On the inhale, your body expands horizontally. The sides of your body, your belly and even your back expand. Then you contract your body again on the exhalation. It is important that your neck and shoulders do not move with you.

What are good breathing exercises?

Want to teach yourself good breathing? Then start by doing breathing techniques. The Meditation Moments app contains practical breathing exercises you can do at any time of day.

The breathing exercises are guided by Robert Bridgeman and will help you sleep better, handle stress better and release feelings of anxiety more easily.

When doing the breathing exercises, it is important that you breathe from your lower body. Are you just starting with breathing exercises? Then start with the shortest version of each exercise (1 minute). Later you can build this up to a longer session (3, 5 and 10 minutes).

You can do the exercises sitting or lying down. In any case, make sure the position you choose is comfortable for you so that you can fully focus on your breathing.

Try this breathing exercise to release stress

How it works

1. Assume a comfortable position and take a few breaths at your natural pace
2. Inhale for four counts through your nose
3. Hold your breath for four counts
4. Exhale for four counts
5. Hold again for four counts
6. Repeat for a few minutes

The Importance of Proper Breathing in Meditation

Breathing is not only an exercise in itself, but also forms the basis of all types of meditation. Many people think that you should not have any thoughts while meditating. But this is an unrealistic expectation - especially if you are not an experienced meditation practitioner.

Most people are busy. Maybe you have to take care of your family, struggle with your mental health or experience constant stress at work. It's not surprising then that your thoughts start racing the moment you begin a meditation.

The best thing you can do then is to focus your attention on your breathing. This works because your breathing is always in the now. Focusing on your breathing distracts your attention from your other thoughts. This way, you calm your mind and it is almost impossible to experience stress, tension and worry.