New Year. New You! Tips On How “To Improve My Breathing” To Improve My Life

By The DivaGals | January 7, 2023 | Fitness

Breathing is something that we all do, all the time, every day. It’s important for keeping us alive, but most of us don’t really give much conscious thought to each breath that we take. However, breathing isn’t just an important basic body function. There are several things that you can do to take charge of your breathing and improve your overall health and well-being. From the way that you breathe while sleeping at night to using your breath to help with stress and anxiety, keep reading to find out more about how “to improve my breathing” for a better life!

Nose Breathing at Night

If you often wake up with a dry and irritated throat in the morning, then you might be breathing through your mouth during the night when you are asleep. Mouth breathing might seem harmless at first, but it has been linked in some studies to a higher risk of several health conditions. Along with this, it can leave you waking up feeling irritated, rather than well-rested and ready to start your day. Mouth breathing and snoring also tend to go hand in hand. If you snore, this can not only end up disrupting your own sleep but that of anyone else in your home such as your partner. You can find more tips to stop waking up with a dry throat here.

Deep Breathing Exercises

If you are stressed or anxious, then deep breathing exercises can be an ideal way to calm yourself down and get back in control of your situation. Often, when we are highly anxious, stressed, or panicked, our breath can become faster, and our heart rate goes up. By focusing on your breathing and breathing deeply in and out, you can slow your heart rate down and get your body back to a normal, non-stressed state faster, avoiding going into the fight or flight response. There are several different breathing exercises that you might want to try if you are dealing with high stress or anxiety levels.

Improve Your Sleep

Taking charge of your breathing at night before you go to sleep can be one of the best ways to help yourself relax and get a better night’s sleep every night. Along with keeping your stress and anxiety levels low, you can also use deep breathing exercises to relax your body and mind before going to sleep at night. In addition, you can also use other relaxation exercises such as tensing and then relaxing your muscle groups one by one.

Stretch Your Muscles

If you are preparing for working out or simply want to stretch and improve your flexibility, breathing is important. Breathing in deeply when you are stretching will help with improving joint flexibility and lubricating your joints. Whether you are stretching before doing a big workout or just stretching your muscles daily, it can help with preventing injuries and soreness.

Alternate Breathing

To balance your nervous system and calm your body and mind in any situation, alternate breathing is a good option to try. This is an easy exercise to do wherever you are, whether you are working, reading, watching TV, or stopping at traffic lights in the car. First, close your right nostril using your index finger, and slowly breathe in through the left. Then, using your thumb, breathe out through the right nostril while holding the left closed.

Breathing is something that we all need to do all the time to stay alive. With these strategies and exercises, you can get in control of how to improve your breathing for better health, well-being, calmness and relaxation.

Photo credit: Pexels Jorge Fakhouri Filho, Thirdman