It is this intra-abdominal pressure,
created by the combined effect of all
the muscles surrounding the abdominal
cavity, that builds the kind of sustainable
core stability that supports your back
and helps keep you pain free.
For many people, hunching over
a computer means the posture is
such that the intercostal muscles and
diaphragm can’t contract well enough to
create a good vacuum. Hence you don’t
take in nearly as much air as your lungs
can hold; nor do you have the capacity to
push the air back out the way you should.
Indeed, a 2006 study from the
American Academy of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation showed that poor
posture, out of a range of other positional
variables, produced the worst lung
capacity and expiratory flow, reducing
lung capacity by as much as 30 per cent.
With reduced oxygen comes an
increased risk of fatigue as well as
heart and lung stress, which can elevate
cortisol. Elevated cortisol is associated
with a range of health issues including
weight gain, mood swings and insomnia.
It also compromises executive brain
functions, affecting short-term memory
and decision making.
Poor breathing is also linked to poor
digestion and constipation due to thecompromised action of the diaphragm
as well as poor circulation, anxiety,
depression and cardiovascular diseases.
Adding to the issue of whether your
diaphragm is engaged properly is the
question of whether you breathe through
your nose or mouth. Normal calm
breathing is done through the nose with
each nostril functioning independently
to filter, warm and moisten air before it
reaches your lungs.
When you breathe through your mouth,
however, none of this happens, leaving your
lungs more vulnerable to infection. Mouth
breathing can also lead to hyperventilation,
snoring, dry lips and an impaired sense of
smell and, because less oxygen is delivered
to the brain, muscles and body cells, you
may function less optimally overall.The breath and wellbeing
In Eastern philosophies, mastery of the
breath is the key to controlling the body’s
life force energy. Accessing and balancing
this subtle energy is understood as essential
to wellbeing and mastery of the breath
is viewed as the gateway to higher levels
of consciousness. Western science and
medicine have explored these techniques,
finding that controlling the breath can
indeed help manage a range of emotional,
mental and physiological conditions.When you breathe well, a range of
biological changes occur including the
lowering of blood pressure and heart
rate, reduced levels of stress hormones
in the blood, reduced lactic acid buildup
in muscle tissue, a balancing of levels of
oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood,
improved immune system functioning,
increased physical energy and increased
feelings of calm and wellbeing.
Studies around yogic styles of breathing
found that participants’ lung functions
were improved, allergies eased and
asthma symptoms reduced. Additionally,
study participants also demonstrated
improved cognitive skills such as an
increase in focus, improved alertness and
decreases in emotional reactivity.The breath and thinking
A clear mind is crucial for sound
decision making yet poor breathing
practice compromises such skills. For
example, the levels of noradrenaline in
the brain — released during activities
that are challenging, require physical
exertion and focus or are emotionally
arousing — are directly impacted by the
way you breathe. If produced at the right
levels, noradrenaline helps the brain
grow new connections, accounting for
enhanced attention and improved brain
health; at the wrong levels you are less
able to focus, evaluate alternatives and
move through crisis.Studies around yogic styles of breathing found that participants’
lung functions were improved, allergies eased and
asthma symptoms reduced.Photography^ GettyImagesbody
BREATHE128 | wellbeing.com.au