Diaphragmatic Breathing: The Benefits (Part 1)

I’d venture to say that most of you have heard of diaphragmatic breathing and likely you have been told that diaphragmatic breathing (DB) has a ton of benefits for your body. But do you know what the diaphragm actually is?

The diaphragm is one of the four muscles that make up your inner core muscles. It is an important component in lumbopelvic stability, and it has a strong effect on your pelvic floor muscles. DB can be used to facilitate a pelvic floor contraction, help the pelvic floor relax, and it aids digestion by facilitating the motility of your digestive organs.

The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that sits along the bottom of your ribs. It is the biggest respiratory muscle in your body, and ideally, people use this muscle as their primary muscle for breathing. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many people.

Our culture has many of us sucking in our abdomens in the hopes of looking slimmer. This, combined with the fact that many of us walk around in a state of anxiety or stress, means that many of us actually use the smaller muscles between our ribs and in our necks to breathe. This is what we call chest breathing. Unfortunately, when we use these smaller muscles to breathe, this tends to increase anxiety and feelings of stress in our bodies.

You also may have heard that you can use DB to help your body feel calmer. But did you ever wonder why?

DB is one of many tools that you can use to help pull your autonomic nervous system (ANS) out of fight-or-fight or freeze mode?   (The autonomic nervous system is the part of our nervous system that we have no conscious control over and that oversees the function of many of our organ systems.) Engaging the diaphragm with your deep breathing will help decrease the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) that is released in your body by activating your ventral vagus nerve. This is a cranial nerve that regulates your autonomic nervous system.

Here are few tips to keep in mind when practicing your diaphragmatic breathing to help you feel better and to pull your nervous system out of fight-or-flight or freeze and to help you gain the most benefit: 

• Breathe in and out of your nose. 
• Your breathing must be gentle and non-forceful.
• The key to calming and feeling better is prolonging your exhale. 
• It can also be helpful for you allow your body to pause between the inhale and exhale and between the exhale and inhale.

This is a wonderful exercise to do on a daily basis. I use it every night as I am falling asleep. This is also an extremely helpful tool to use if you are feeling triggered or stressed. In this case, give yourself five to ten minutes and take note of how you feel after! Honestly, even just 3-5 slow, gentle, deep diaphragmatic breaths will bring you back into your body and help you feel calmer. You will notice that your heart rate slows down. You will notice the heart beats won’t feel as strong.

As this is occurring, you are increasing the oxygen in your body. You are improving your blood pressure. You’ll notice your respiratory rate slowing down and if you are exercising, it will help your body recover faster.

I will cover more of the “how to” use your diaphragm next week. So, stay tuned…

In Kindness,

Jennifer Chu, MS, PT, WCS, Mind-Body Coach

Owner, ITR Physical Therapy

Founder, Health Education Your Way

P.S. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]