Breathing is something you’ve been doing since the day you were born, so the idea of practicing your breathing may seem a little unnecessary.
However, breathing exercises can help you:
- Relax
- Destress
- Reduce anxiety
- Sleep better
- Reduce blood pressure
- Improve your immune system
- Have more energy
Not bad for something free that requires no equipment and you have to do anyway, right? Here are five great breathing exercises that you can do whenever and wherever you need a break.
How Do Breathing Exercises Help?
Your body’s autonomic nervous system has two parts, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The deep breathing done in breathing exercises helps calm your body by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Simply put, the sympathetic nervous system controls stress and the parasympathetic nervous system controls rest and relaxation. When you activate the sympathetic nervous system, you suppress the parasympathetic nervous system, and vice versa. Most of the parasympathetic nervous system is controlled by your vagus nerve (also called vagal nerves). Most breathing exercises involve a longer exhale, which signals a state of relaxation by the vagus nerve.
5 Breathing Exercises to Try
Often when you’re stressed, it’s hard to get away to go for a walk, meditate, or lie down. These five exercises can all be done while standing at the counter, sitting at your desk, or even driving.
3 Breathing
- Sit comfortably in your chair with your feet flat on the floor, or stand with your hands on a counter.
- Inhale deeply through your nose while counting to three.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of three.
- Repeat for several breaths.
Yoga Breathing
This exercise involves stretching and may be harder to do at work, while driving, or while actively engaged in activities, but can be easily done while watching TV.
- Sit up straight in a chair and place your hands on your knees.
- Inhale deeply, lifting your arms overhead and stretching.
- Exhale slowly as you bring your arms back down to your sides.
- Repeat this stretching and breathing exercise for a few minutes to release tension.
Box Breathing
- Sit or stand comfortably and take a moment to relax your shoulders.
- Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 4.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4.
- Pause and hold your breath for another count of 4.
- Repeat this sequence for several rounds.
- Adding hand movements such as touching your fingers together on one hand for the inhale and on the other hand for the exhale can increase the effectiveness of the exercise and serve as a reminder to breathe when you can’t go through the entire exercise.
Stress-Relief Breathing
- Sit or stand comfortably and close your eyes if possible.
- Inhale deeply through your nose, counting to four.
- Hold your breath for a moment.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, counting to six.
- Repeat this breathing pattern for several cycles to help alleviate stress.
Mindful Breathing
Sometimes, just being aware of your breathing can help reset your system. This exercise is harder to do if you are in the middle of caring for someone.
- Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on your breath.
- Inhale and exhale slowly, paying attention to each breath.
- Spend a few minutes in mindful breathing to reset and refresh your mind.
These exercises are all quick and easy to do anywhere. If you find relief from them, you may want to consider other, longer breathing exercises. You can find instructional videos on YouTube or consider yoga or meditation classes. We all breathe, you might as well use your breath to center yourself and calm your mind.
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