Five Surprising Benefits of Deep Breathing

Breathing is something we all know how to do. It is a necessity of life that occurs without much thought.

Most of us are not using our whole respiratory system to breathe. In fact, many of us use just 33% of our total capacity. ConsciousLifeStyle Chest breathing or shallow breathing is when minimal breath is drawn into the lungs using the intercostal muscles. Wikipedia

Proper breathing goes by many names. It is called deep breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, or belly breathing. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and you will notice that your lower belly rises. HealthHarvard
We are all born with the ability for deep breathing. Newborn babies naturally breathe this way. When a newborn baby sleeps, he/she uses the whole body for breathing. The back, tummy and chest move together with no blockages.

We are conditioned from an early age to control our feelings and emotions, and as a result our muscles tighten and our breathing patterns become restricted. ConsciousLifeStyle
This can be fixed with practice. Focus on deep breathing once or twice a day.  Every time you breathe in, your belly should fill up like a balloon, And every time you breathe out, that balloon should deflate. RunnersWorld

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax. UofMHealth

Deep breathing also helps to control anxiety. When people are anxious they tend to take rapid, shallow breaths that come directly from the chest. VeryWellMind

In addition to stress relief and anxiety control there are five more surprising benefits of deep breathing. Deep breathing can provide mental clarity, better sleep, more energy, improved aerobic performance, and digestive health.


1. Mental Clarity
The brain requires a lot of oxygen to function, and increased intake of oxygen helps us to achieve clarity and feel grounded and productive. ConsciousLifeStyle

When our mental chatter is distracting us, or when we are fixated on events that have happened either in the past or are yet to come, taking a deep breath helps us re-center and brings us back to the present moment. MindBodyGreen

2. Sleep Better
Deep breathing promotes better sleep by alleviating stress and triggering relaxation response.  When stress is lowered, sleep is improved. An adult needs at least six to seven hours of sleep every night for optimum health and productivity. Skiin

3. Feel Energized
When we take deep breaths, more air is drawn into our lungs. Since the lungs help generate maximum blood flow, proper air supply to the lungs is critical. Improved oxygenation of the blood also results in an enhanced metabolism and greater energy.  With the proper oxygen supply, all your organs are revitalized, filling you with more energy and vigor each day. Skiin

4. Improved Aerobic Performance
Better breathing equals more oxygen for your muscles, and that equals more endurance. The key to preventing lung and leg fatigue is breathing more fully.  When you take deeper breaths, you use more air sacs in your lungs, which allows you to take in more oxygen to feed your muscles. RunnersWorld

5. Improved Digestion
Deep breathing increases blood flow in the digestive tract, which encourages intestinal action and improves overall digestion, alleviating irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. In addition, deeper breathing results in a calmer nervous system which in turn enhances optimum digestion. ConsciousLifeStyleMagazine