Breathing is something we all do without really even thinking about it. It is part of our survival, and we really only take notice of it when someone reminds us of our breathing or something is obstructing it – like stress or a health issue.
Breathing, when controlled, can have all sorts of health-improving impacts. It is undoubtedly a mental game, and learning to incorporate healthy breathing techniques might not be too easy. No one is a guru in one night. But think of the self control you will gain by learning how to harness your breath and turn that power into smooth, calculated breaths.
When you are breathing right, your heart rate is healthier, there is less stress on your body, and you are able to do more because there is more oxygen in your body fueling you to go further, both mentally and physically. A health newsletter from Harvard finds that the way we breath can also be socially constructed. The desire for washboard abs and being thin force many to breathe shallowly and in their chest. Simply breathing like that adds to stress and anxiety just because you are not getting sufficient oxygen. Let those bellies hang out and breathe people!
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