Your Knowledge Resource For Those On The Go Vol 89: The Health Benefits Of Deep Breathing

Executive
Summary
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF
DEEP BREATHING
READ 2,410 words | 10 min 45 sec LISTEN 2,744 words | 17 min 26 sec

THE SUMMARY IN BRIEF

It’s something you do every day but take for granted. It’s breathing and
most people have never taken a deep breath except when they yawn when
RESOURCES they get up in the morning.
But, what most people don’t know is that deep breathing has a lot of
Top 10 Takeaways health benefits, but they don’t practice it enough to experience them.
For A Deeper Dive This Masterclass is going to cover the health benefits of deep breathing.
You’re going to discover that many benefits to deep breathing can help you
Did You Know? relieve stress, help you feel less pain, and detoxify your body.
So, let’s get started!
This Week’s Inspiring
Video
Deep Breathing Decreases Stress
My Favorite Quotes
The good news about deep breathing is it helps you destress so you can
On The Health Benefits
Of Deep Breathing focus on the task at hand. This is important because the brain releases corti-
sol, which is the body’s stress hormone.
When you have a lot of cortisol in your system, it makes you less likely to
Upcoming Issues relax because cortisol serves to raise your blood pressure and makes it more
likely to gain weight.
That’s because cortisol raises blood sugar by releasing stored glucose. If
you have chronically high blood glucose, it increases your chances of getting
type 2 diabetes.

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That’s why it’s critical to reduce cortisol levels, and
deep breathing helps in that regard. It helps you relax,
lowers your cortisol levels, and makes you less likely
to succumb to stress-related conditions.
Of course, cortisol has a lot of positive uses in the
fight-or-flight response. But you don’t want to be in
a constant state of fight or flight if you want to have a
more relaxing life. It can do you a lot of good if you’re
being chased by a bear, but not so good if you’re con-
stantly stressed out in your life.
The truth is stress is caused by our thoughts. If
you’re stressed out about the upcoming book report, an
employee review from your boss, or a massive health
crisis, then you’re going to think about it over and over.
This causes your body to feel like it’s under attack
and relies on primal instincts to survive whatever
you’re going through. Thus, the body then goes into
fight or flight mode and adrenaline is released into
your system. Your heart rate increases, your palm
starts to sweat, and you’re fully alert.
This is your sympathetic nervous system, and what
the parasympathetic nervous system does is slow
down that response so you get back to normal and
back out of that fight or flight state. Your muscles start
to unclench and you start to relax.
So, the next time you’re stressed out about life, try
deep breathing to see if it will help you get out of that
stressed-out state and help you become more relaxed.
You’ll thank yourself as you’ll feel like you have more
control over your situation so you can perform better.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
The 4-7-8 breathing technique, often referred to as
“relaxing breath,” is a simple breathing exercise de-
rived from ancient yogic practices. Dr. Andrew Weil,
a physician, and holistic health proponent, popular-
ized it in the West.
This technique is believed to act as a natural tran-
quilizer for the nervous system, helping to reduce
anxiety, improve sleep, and manage stress.
Executive Book Summary
The Health Benefits Of Deep Breathing
Here’s how to do the 4-7-8 breathing technique:
• Find a Comfortable Position: You can sit or lie
down, whichever is more comfortable. If you’re
sitting, keep your back straight.
• Close Your Eyes: This will help you focus on your
breathing and avoid external distractions.
• Place the Tip of Your Tongue Against the Roof of
Your Mouth: This should be right behind your upper
front teeth. Keep it there throughout the exercise.
• Exhale Completely Through Your Mouth: Make a
whoosh sound as you do this.
• Close Your Mouth and Inhale Quietly Through
Your Nose: Count to four as you inhale.
• Hold Your Breath: Count to seven.
• Exhale Completely Through Your Mouth: Again,
making a whoosh sound, for a count of eight.
• That Completes One Breath Cycle: Now, repeat the
cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Deep Breathing Helps Relieve Pain
There’s one thing a lot of people with chronic pain
do to manage their pain and help themselves feel bet-
ter. They use deep breathing exercises to manage their
pain and help them live a normal life.
That’s because deep breathing stimulates endor-
phins, which is nature’s “feel good” chemical. Of
course, when you’re feeling good, you’re not thinking
about pain a lot and, in fact, you can even drown the
pain depending on the severity.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health
wanted to see if slow deep breathing can help people
who are experiencing sudden pain. They looked into
various studies to see if this was true.
Out of almost 12,000 studies they checked, only
seven of them fit their criteria. From these seven stud-
ies, they found that people who did slow deep breath-
ing had less pain than those who didn’t.
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Interestingly, the studies that focused on pain from
burns showed the most reduction in pain when using
slow deep breathing. However, the results varied a lot
between studies.
Right now, the evidence isn’t super strong, but it
suggests that taking slow, deep breaths might help
reduce sudden pain. More research is needed to know
for sure who can benefit from this method.
Deep Breathing Helps Detoxify The Body
And Strengthen The Lymphatic System
Deep breathing ensures that your blood is well-ox-
ygenated. Oxygen is essential for the survival of cells
and for energy production within cells.
By promoting efficient oxygen delivery to cells and
tissues, deep breathing indirectly supports the body’s
natural metabolic processes, including those that help
to “detoxify” or remove waste products.
Further, the lymphatic system plays a role in re-
moving waste products from tissues and regulating the
immune system. Unlike the cardiovascular system, the
lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump like the heart.
Movement, including the mechanical action of
breathing, helps propel lymphatic fluid through the
body. Deep breathing can aid in moving lymph fluid,
which indirectly supports detoxification.
The primary function of the respiratory system is
gas exchange. While the body takes in oxygen during
inhalation, it also expels carbon dioxide (a byproduct
of cellular metabolism) during exhalation. In addi-
tion to carbon dioxide, the lungs also excrete small
amounts of volatile organic compounds through the
breath. Deep breathing can facilitate the removal of
these compounds.
Deep Breathing Increases Your Energy
And Boosts Your Alertness
It makes sense that if your body has more oxygen,
it can help you feel more energy throughout the day.
Executive Book Summary
The Health Benefits Of Deep Breathing
This is especially true when it comes to deep breath-
ing because it allows more oxygen into the body.
Think of oxygen as rocket fuel for your body. The
more of it you have, the more you’ll be able to func-
tion. Plus, it will also help you balance out the oxy-
gen-carbon dioxide levels in your blood, which can
lead to more energy.
Plus, many times, being in a constant stressed-out
state causes you to take shallow, rapid breaths. This is
the worst thing you can do when it comes to making
sure your body has plenty of oxygen going through it.
In fact, researchers from Vrije Universiteit in Bel-
gium carried out a study that underscored the rela-
tionship between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
and breathing irregularities.
The findings indicated that those with CFS often
exhibit an abnormal breathing pattern, which in turn,
detrimentally affects their oxygen saturation levels.
This anomaly can potentially exacerbate the symp-
toms of CFS, given the importance of oxygen for
cellular function and energy production.
Interestingly, the study also brought to light a
hopeful intervention. By adopting and regularly prac-
ticing basic breathing exercises, CFS patients exhibit-
ed noticeable improvements in their condition.
These breathing techniques might aid in regulating
their respiratory rhythm, enhancing oxygen intake,
and potentially alleviating some of the fatigue and
other symptoms associated with the syndrome.
So, the next time you need a jolt and you find
yourself reaching for the latest caffeinated beverage,
give deep breathing a try. You’ll find yourself more
energetic and alert in no time.
Deep Breathing Helps You Stay Present In
The Moment
Deep breathing is a simple yet powerful technique
that can help people stay in the present moment.
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Here’s how it works:
Our bodies and minds are deeply connected.
When we get stressed, anxious, or distracted, our
breathing often becomes shallow and rapid, as we
mentioned before. This kind of breathing can make us
feel even more anxious.
On the other hand, deep and slow breathing can
help us calm down. By focusing on taking slow, deep
breaths, we are sending a message to our body that
everything is okay. This helps reduce stress and anxi-
ety, making us feel more relaxed and centered.
Breathing deeply also provides a focal point for our
attention. In our daily lives, we often find ourselves
thinking about the past or worrying about the future.
These thoughts can pull us away from what’s happen-
ing right now.
However, when we pay attention to our breath, we
bring our focus back to the present. Each inhale and
exhale becomes a reminder that we are alive in this
very moment. It’s like an anchor, holding us steady
amidst the chaos of our thoughts.
Further, the act of deep breathing requires us to be
aware of our bodies. We might notice how our chest
rises and falls, or how the air feels as it enters and
exits our nostrils.
This heightened awareness of our physical sensa-
tions helps us connect with the here and now. Instead
of being lost in thoughts or distractions, we become
more aware of our surroundings and how we feel in
the current moment.
In conclusion, deep breathing is a wonderful tool
to help us stay in the present. It calms our mind and
body, provides a focal point for our attention, and
heightens our awareness of our physical sensations.
So, the next time you find your mind wandering or
feel overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths and experi-
ence the power of the present moment.
Deep Breathing Can Help Lower Blood
Pressure
High blood pressure can be detrimental to a per-
son because it can cause a lot of problems including
Executive Book Summary
The Health Benefits Of Deep Breathing
boosting the chances of heart problems, and kidney
problems, and could also damage the brain and eyes.
There’s a lot of evidence when it comes to using
deep breathing when it comes to lower anxiety and
even help prevent panic attacks. However, a recent
study showed that deep breathing can help lower
blood pressure.
A recent article published in Frontiers in Physiolo-
gy looked at 339 articles and picked 20 for the review.
The 20 studies included people with different stages of
hypertension, from mild to severe. These people were
between 18 to 75 years old.
After doing breathing exercises, the systolic blood
pressure number went down by 4 to 54.22 points, and
the diastolic decreased by 3 to 17 points.
One type of breathing you can implement to lower
your blood pressure and experience the other benefits
of deep breathing is to practice diaphragmatic breath-
ing. This is also known as belly breathing.
This is how it works: you put one hand on your chest
and put the other hand on your belly. You then take a
deep breath through your nose, and not your mouth.
While you’re breathing in, you’ll allow your belly to
fill up with air and your chest should not move.
Then, breathe out slowly through the mouth and,
again, let the belly do all the work without moving
the chest.
Deep Breathing Can Improve Your Posture
When you practice deep breathing, it requires you
to use your diaphragm, which is a muscle located be-
low your lungs. This muscle helps to draw in and push
out air from your lungs.
When you breathe deeply and correctly, your
diaphragm moves downward, allowing your lungs to
expand. As a result, your abdominal muscles engage.
These muscles, which are part of your core, also
play a vital role in supporting your spine. When your
core is strong and active, it’s easier to maintain an
upright and aligned posture.
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Another benefit of deep breathing is that it can
help reduce muscle tension. When we’re stressed or
anxious, our muscles tend to tighten up. This can lead
to poor posture as our shoulders hunch and our necks
jut forward.
However, taking deep breaths helps to calm the
mind, reduce stress, and relax these tense muscles.
When our muscles are relaxed, it’s easier to maintain a
natural and healthy posture.
Deep breathing often involves a level of mindful-
ness. When you pay close attention to your breath, you
are also more likely to notice the position of your body.
For instance, if you’re slouching, it might feel more
difficult to take a full, deep breath. On the other hand,
sitting or standing tall opens up your chest and makes
deep breathing easier.
Over time, as you prioritize deep breathing, you
might find that you automatically correct your pos-
ture without even thinking about it.
In conclusion, deep breathing isn’t just good for
our lungs and overall well-being; it also has a positive
effect on our posture.
By engaging the core, increasing our awareness,
and reducing muscle tension, deep breathing can help
us stand taller and more confidently.
Deep Breathing Can Help With Digestion
There’s one small effect that being stressed out all
the time has on your body, and it’s your digestion. The
truth is if you’re stressed out, it can slow down diges-
tion and whatever digestion problems you may have
can be magnified.
Deep breathing can be a great remedy for this.
That’s because it stimulates the vagus nerve, which
is how the brain communicates with the gut. When
this happens, digestion is much smoother and there is
very little or no discomfort.
Executive Book Summary
The Health Benefits Of Deep Breathing
This is because increased oxygenation thanks to the
deep breathing exercises stimulates the vagus nerve,
and can lead to better digestion. So, if you’re experi-
encing digestion issues, give deep breathing a try in
order to feel better.
Deep Breathing Can Help You Sleep Better
The rhythmic nature of deep breathing also aids in
the shift of focus from external stimuli or wandering
thoughts to a singular, calming activity. This focused at-
tention on one’s breath can act as a form of meditation.
The mind, freed from the day’s worries or tomor-
row’s to-do list, becomes more present. This mental
stillness can help individuals transition from the
busyness of the waking world to a state of readiness
for sleep.
Lastly, the increased oxygen intake from deep
breathing can promote better circulation and assist
cellular processes, ensuring that the body is adequate-
ly prepared for the reparative functions that take place
during sleep.
Proper oxygenation plays a vital role in various
bodily systems, including the brain, which can influ-
ence the quality and depth of sleep.
Conclusion
Deep breathing exercises are a great way to experi-
ence a lot of health benefits. This Masterclass covered
many ways deep breathing can help you relax, lower
stress, and improve a lot of bodily processes.
A good strategy is to take the breathing exercises
in this Masterclass start small and work your way up
toward using these breathing exercises to stay calmer
and healthier.
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