Breathing Exercises – Why Do You Need These Exercises?

Take a deep breath: Breathing exercises can improve your well-being and health. To be in the best shape for Bet22.

WHY DO YOU NEED THESE EXERCISES?

Breathing is vital. It supplies the body with fresh oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide from the body. But not only that, your breath changes depending on your mood. When you’re stressed, your breathing tends to be fast and shallow. When you calm down, your breathing slows down again. But if you often breathe shallowly, you put a strain on your body. Breathing deeply and correctly is therefore useful against stress and promotes health and well-being.

If you consciously concentrate on your breath, you also breathe deeper and into your belly. With different breathing exercises you can calm your body and relax. You don’t need much time for the following exercises and can integrate them into your everyday life again and again – during stress, in the office, before falling asleep or before exciting situations.

BREATHE CORRECTLY

Our natural abdominal breathing flows deep into the belly. Many people unconsciously do not breathe deeply enough. For example, if you wear tight clothing or often pull in your belly, shallow breathing quickly becomes a habit and you breathe into your chest instead of your belly. Constant shallow breathing can be detrimental to cellular metabolism and the ability to concentrate. It helps to consciously practice natural breathing every now and then.

Here’s how to breathe properly:

• Place one hand on your belly.
• Breathe in deeply through your nose.
• Consciously feel your abdomen expand as you inhale and feel your hand lift with the abdominal wall.
• When you exhale, the hand on the abdominal wall lowers and the abdomen contracts again slightly.

In this way you can always check whether you are breathing correctly: place one hand on your abdomen and feel your breathing and your abdominal area. Conscious breathing also helps you to strengthen your own mindfulness.

BREATHING EXERCISE AGAINST STRESS

The more stressed you are, the faster you breathe. By breathing consciously, you can relieve stress. This breathing exercise is an extension of abdominal breathing. Sit or lie down relaxed and put your hand on your belly.

Then proceed like this:

• Breathe in through your nose and count slowly to four.
• Hold your breath and count to six.
• Breathe out and count slowly to eight.
• You can repeat this exercise five times. Your breath will become calm and deep. When you breathe more slowly, your blood pressure is lowered and your body switches to rest. Various relaxation exercises also help to reduce stress.

BREATHING EXERCISE TO CALM YOU DOWN

When you are anxious and tense, your breathing slows down. Less oxygen reaches your body and muscle tension increases: You feel a physical restlessness. So if you feel tense, under power or nervous, you can consciously use your breathing to calm down.

This breathing technique can help you:

• Sit down and place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest.
• Inhale in a relaxed manner and count to five.
• Then exhale through your mouth five times in a row.
• You can do this exercise five times in a row and repeat it over and over again. With this breathing technique you breathe away your restlessness, but also anger or annoyance.

INFLATE THE LUNGS: BREATHING EXERCISE FOR LESS TENSION

If something worries you or you are facing a challenge, your body starts to breathe shallowly. Then use your breath specifically to calm down and reduce tension and nervousness.

Here’s how to do it: 

• Breathe in and count to two.
• Hold your breath and count to two again.
• Continue to breathe in and count to two.
• Hold your breath again and count to two.
• Repeat this as many times as it takes to stop breathing.
• Then exhale in a calm, long breath.
• Breathe normally for a few breaths.
• You can repeat this exercise two more times. Deep, calm breathing builds inner peace and your emotions can be better controlled.