We’ve all heard that breathing is good for us, it can relax, help recovery and ensure our body is working correctly. However some of us struggle to deep breathe, to breathe from our diaphragm. There are numerous reasons for this such as respiratory, heart or dysautonomia dysfunctions.
Your breathing may need retraining.
Try this exercise if you’re struggling with deep/abdominal breathing.
1 Pursed lips breathing
Sit or lie comfortably and hold up a finger about 10 inches (25 cm) away from your mouth.
• Gently and slowly blow through pursed lips (as if you are blowing through a narrow straw) so that you can feel a gentle airflow onto the finger.
• When you have exhaled fully, without strain, pause for a count of one, and then inhale through your nose. Full exhalation creates a sense of a ‘coiled spring’, making inhalation easier.
• Without pausing to hold the breath, exhale slowly and fully, again through pursed lips as before, and pause for a count of one. Feelings of anxiety and pain should reduce with this exercise.
• Perform 30 breaths, and practice this in the morning and evening. If you feel light-headed during the exercise, stop blowing on your finger and relax. This is not unusual initially, but will improve with practice.
For more help and guidance on this area, please contact. Note check with your GP or Physiotherapist, whether you are safe to carry out this exercise.
https://unsplash.com/@dariusbashar
Thank you for the photo
This page contains the current position that Mobility Physiotherapy Limited is taking based on the latest government and our professional body guidance to ensure the health and safety of our patients.
