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Live Well: Exercises for Better Breathing

July 19, 2024

Wellness

Breathing exercises help your lungs work more efficiently by removing stale air and increasing oxygen levels in your blood. These exercises can help improve lung capacity, reduce blood pressure, and make breathing easier.

Chest breathing involves taking short, shallow breaths, which only fills the top portion of your lungs. This type of breathing is less effective than belly breathing, which fills the lungs completely. Chest breathing can lead to heart palpitations, dizziness, and chest pain.

Belly breathing and pursed-lip breathing are two breathing techniques that can help when you feel short of breath or anxious.

Belly Breathing

How it works: This type of breathing requires less effort to breathe because you’re using your diaphragm to fill your lungs completely. Your diaphragm is a muscle positioned just below your lungs. When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts to allow fresh oxygen to enter your lungs. In individuals with healthy lungs, the diaphragm does 80% of the work of breathing.

How to do it: Lie down or sit up straight and place your hands on your belly. Close your mouth and take a slow, deep breath through your nose. As you breathe in push out with your stomach and allow your belly to expand as if you were filling a balloon. Then breathe out fully through your mouth as if you were blowing bubbles.

Repeat for five to 10 minutes until you feel relaxed. Watch this video from TELUS Health on diaphragmatic breathing for more.

Pursed Lip Breathing

How it works: This type of breathing opens your airways, slows your breathing rate, and helps get more oxygen into your lungs.

How to do it: Sit down and relax your neck and shoulders.

Breathe in slowly through your nose with your mouth closed. Then breathe out through your mouth with pursed lips (as if you were going to whistle). Try to breathe out longer than you inhale. For example, inhale for a count of three and exhale for a count of four.