Breathing exercise

Breathing exercise - learn how to breathe completely

We breathe or die. We do it constantly by the end of our lives. Breathing exercise will help you to enjoy every breath and feel life. When I was a child, other children laughed at my belly, which moved while breathing and I kept wondering why only their chests moved when they breathed in. Later when I took up yoga and made breathing exercise I realized I was born breathing the right way.

When we breathe in, the air should reach the diaphragm (an organ in the mid section of the body, where ribs end) so that it remains inside the body long enough to allow oxygen to be absorbed. The stretching of the diaphragm makes a natural massage to the abdomen.

To find out whether you breathe completely, lie down on the floor and make this breathing exercise:
Place your hand on the abdomen. If your hand goes up when you breathe in, it means you breathe completely. If it stands still, you should make a conscious effort to make the air you inhale lift the hand on your abdomen. Lie down for a few minutes, breathe calmly and try to make the hand on your abdomen rise every time you breathe in. You can do it while watching television or reading. Start by consciously concentrating on the way you breathe and if you are able to do it while watching television, it means you have reached the state of subconscious complete breathing.

Another breathing exercise:
As a next stage, try to consciously breathe abdominally while sitting or standing. Once again, place your hand on the abdomen and try to make it move up and down while breathing calmly. Concentrate on it; when you notice you are breathing abdominally while standing or watching television, it means it has become a part of your nature and you are fully enjoying every breath.

Breathing exercise rule

For physical activity your body needs more oxygen, i.e. you have to take in more air in deeper, controlled, conscious breaths. When I started exercising I used to make 10 repetitions at a single breathing in. I was in a hurry to finish the set before I was out of breath. I was not aware of doing it, until a friend joined me at the gym and noticed I was not breathing while making an exercise. It sounded odd and I began watching my breathing and tried to control it.

Breathing exercise:
I started breathing out noisily, to make sure I was also breathing in. The rule on when to breathe in and out while exercising is actually very simple. The exercises always have a difficult part and an easy part. Crunches, for example, involve tension when rising (the tough part) while leaning back is easy.

The rule is the following:

When it gets difficult, we breathe out.

When we relax, it is easy and we breathe in.

Here is another example:
Curl one leg back behind you to train the back thigh muscles.
Raising the leg back is difficult, so we breathe out; bringing the leg down is easy � we breathe in.

Here is one more example: kicks.
We feel tension while kicking up and breathe out; when bringing the leg back to the body, we relax and breathe in.
Start by breathing out noisily � this is how I taught myself to breathe while making exercises. As a matter of habit, I still do.