{"id":3355,"date":"2021-12-29T17:40:08","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T17:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maidenlanemedical.com\/physical-therapy\/?page_id=3355"},"modified":"2022-12-13T03:10:49","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T03:10:49","slug":"improving-body-mind-with-breathing-exercises","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/maidenlanemedical.com\/pelvic-floor-physical-therapy\/improving-body-mind-with-breathing-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Your Body and Mind With Breathing Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row el_disable_tablet=”1″ el_disable_mobile=”1″ css=”.vc_custom_1669909240900{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-right: 200px !important;margin-left: 200px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]As we all know COVID-19 affects breathing. A quick test of your breathing mentioned early on in the COVID crisis was, \u201ccan you hold your breath for 10 seconds?\u201d. This was social media misinformation. \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

University of Maryland<\/span><\/a> Chief Quality Officer and Chief of Infectious Diseases Dr. Faheem Younus <\/span>tweeted<\/span><\/a> on March 16: \u201cWrong: Most young patients with coronavirus will be able to hold their breaths for much longer than 10 seconds. And many elderly without the virus won\u2019t be able to do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people in good health can hold their breath for approximately two minutes but like most physical abilities this varies with health and age. However, they also warn that depriving your body of oxygen can have many negative effects, so don\u2019t make a habit of holding your breath for very long!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The longest time breath has been held voluntarily (male) is 24 min 3.45 secs and was achieved by Aleix Segura Vendrell (Spain), in Barcelona, Spain, on 28 February 2016. Aleix Segura Vendrell is a professional free diver.<\/span><\/p>\n

SHOULD I BREATHE THROUGH MY MOUTH OR MY NOSE?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Breathing through the nose is preferred as the nose has hairs to help filter and warm the air and the nose allows us access to a small portion of nitric oxide that we carry into our lungs. Nitric oxide is necessary to release carbon dioxide in the blood, which is what releases oxygen, maintaining the balance of gases in our bodies. Nitric acid helps dilate our lungs and blood vessels while providing antibacterial properties to clear out germs and bacteria.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many different ways we breathe depending on what we are doing and many different breathing exercises. Our breathing is affected by stress, disease, illness, exercise, excitement, relaxation, and fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathing exercises can help strengthen our breathing muscles, mainly our diaphragm and the intercostals but can also help us relax, focus, and recover from or improve illnesses that affect our breathing such as COVID-19, <\/span>COPD<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>asthma<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>bronchitis<\/span><\/a>, pneumonia, and are given after surgeries or illness to prevent pneumonia and restore health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, relaxation methods, exercise, and many different spiritual and exercise practices use breathing for the mind and the body.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The diaphragm is a large muscle located on the bottom of your rib cage and is the main breathing muscle. If you imagine your rib cage to be a barrel, the bottom would be the diaphragm. You can actually palpate the diaphragm by hooking your fingers under your ribs on the front of your body.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As you take a deep diaphragmatic breath, the diaphragm will descend and push your fingers out. This is a good way to learn to do diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing (DB) is relaxing and efficient and is used by physical therapists, singers, actors, and dancers for these purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DB\u00a0 relaxes us and our bodies by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system ( the relaxing part of the autonomic nervous system) The autonomic nervous system, is also thought of as the \u201cautomatic\u201d nervous system, because we don\u2019t have to think of what it controls,\u00a0 controls our organs, our temperature, sweat, breath, heart rate, bowel, bladder and modulates normal muscle tension.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The other part of the autonomic nervous system is the sympathetic nervous, also known as the \u201cFight or Flight\u201d nervous system. The parasympathetic and sympathetic are like Ying and Yan and when in balance we are in balance so by stimulating the parasympathetic NS we calm the sympathetic, reducing that feeling of \u201cfight or flight\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING<\/b><\/h3>\n