It is such a little thing, but we actually end up taking breathing for granted. Here are 6 ways to help make sure you’re breathing right.

Breathing is, surprisingly, something that can be done wrong. There are a number of ways to get oxygen into your system through your lungs. But what does it really take to fix your breathing, and what other ways are you breathing incorrectly? 

Addressing Your Home Environment

This is the best place to begin, because if you’ve got problems with your air conditioning unit and it’s blowing out allergens, or you have a lot of mold in the property, this is going to have an impact on your breathing, and cause of variety of colds or flu-like symptoms. Your local air conditioning repair can get to work on these things but make sure that you fix your home environment first as this provides a solid foundation. 

Are You Breathing Through Your Nose? 

You need to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. If you use the nostrils, this is going to act as a humidifier. Your nostril filters, warms, and humidifies the air that your mouth cannot do. While there are times that breathing through your mouth is absolutely necessary, if you are in a dry or cold environment, you need to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

Breathing Through Your Diaphragm

If you breathe shallowly and only breathe into your chest, you are not filling your lungs with as much as possible. Proper breathing starts through the nose and goes all the way down to the stomach, which causes your belly to expand. This will also create negative pressure on the chest, and when you get into this habit, you are bringing more oxygen into your system. 

Do Not Neglect a Healthy Lifestyle

This is especially true if you have breathing issues like asthma. Exercise will keep your lungs functioning better, but also having a solid diet can help you stay active. When we are not breathing properly, we’ve got to recognize that there are certain meals that could cause bloating, and this will prevent the abdomen from pushing up, which hinders the diaphragm’s movement, and therefore means we aren’t getting in as much oxygen as possible. 

Calm Your Body

If you are not relaxed, you could very well be hyperventilating. Learning to relax is going to improve the quality of your life regardless, but when it comes to breathing, if you learn to breathe slowly, you are going to slow your heart rate down, and you are going to feel better. Additionally, if you improve your posture, you will breathe better and more naturally and you should feel the benefits. It’s important that when you are practicing breathing through your diaphragm that you always practice proper posture. 

Do Not Overthink It

When you start to breathe in this new way, it can feel unnatural. But after a while, it becomes as natural as, yes, you guessed it, breathing! But also, when it comes naturally, always remember it’s as much to do with the quality of air and your lung health as much as how you are breathing.