It is critical to ensure we get them right when it comes to breathing exercises. Breathing exercises are easy, mostly because they don’t require much. However, they can improve our blood circulation, energy levels, and much more. If you are living in Greenwood, AR, senior living homes and are looking for a way to improve your breathing, here are some methods you could try out today.
Why Breathing Exercises Matter
When we breathe, we take in oxygen, which the body uses for various metabolic purposes. This oxygen is carried around the body by the blood. While breathing sounds like a mundane task, how we breathe is important as it determines the amount of oxygen we take. That, in turn, can affect different areas of our bodies. For example, breathing properly can boost our energy levels as it helps to increase the amount of oxygen our bodies take in.
So here are some breathing excesses that can help you enjoy better health and higher energy levels.
Complete Breathing
This exercise aims to ensure that we are taking in as much air as possible with every breath. While sitting up straight on a chair, breath in and out several times. While doing so, ensure your muscles, especially the stomach muscles, are as relaxed as possible. Take a deep breath as slowly as possible. Hold the breath in for as long as you can, and then breathe out as slowly as possible. Some people find it helpful to count up to five with every act of inhaling and exhaling. If you can time yourself in any other way, that also works. Repeat this process about five times. At the end of it, you will be a lot more relaxed. This is a great exercise to do whenever you are feeling stressed. It will help to calm you down.
Humming Breathing
This works in the same way as complete breathing with one crucial difference., Hold it in first and count up to five when you breathe in the air. When you get to exhale, instead of breathing out normally as one would, hum instead as you let the air out. As you exhale and hum, ensure that you tighten your belly muscles simultaneously. Slowly relax your belly muscles when the last bit of air is let out. Repeat this several times.
Chinese Breathing
This technique is borrowed from the Chinese practice called Tai Chi Chuan. To do this, raise your arm to the level of your chest and hold it in front of you. When you take the first breath, raise your arms to be at the same level as your shoulder. On the third breath, raise your arms above your head. Repeat this several times.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
While on your back, place one hand on your navel and the other on your stomach. Take a deep breath, ensuring your diaphragm rises and falls with every breath. You can tell this due to the hands placed on your stomach and navel. Do this several times, ensuring that you concentrate entirely on your breathing.