Do Abdominal Breathing

Abdominal breathing can help strengthen your diaphragm muscles and result in you breathing more efficiently overall. The exercise can also be calming, as you'll end up spending 5 or 10-minute intervals focusing solely on your breath. You can practice abdominal breathing sitting up or lying down.

Steps

Practicing Abdominal Breathing Lying Down

  1. Take stock of your normal breathing. Before you practice abdominal breathing, pay attention to your normal patterns of breathing. Abdominal breathing should work to alter the normal pace and size of your breaths to promote relaxation.
    • Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Try to focus slowly on your breaths and block out other stimulants like noises or smells. If possible, do this in a closed off room away from distractions.[1]
    • Do you breathe into your chest or abdomen? Does your breathing feel slow? Fast? Are your breaths too shallow? See if there's anything about your breathing that feels abnormal. Doing occasional abdominal breathing exercises can help regulate normal breathing.[1]
  2. Lie on your back and relax the body. Find a flat surface and lie down. You should lie down on your back with you knees slightly bent and your feet flat against the surface. If you need extra support, put a pillow under your legs to keep your knees up.[2]
  3. Place your hands in the right position. Once you're lying down, you'll need to position your hands in a way that will allow you to track your breathing. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your ribcage. Relax your hands as much as you can, allowing your elbows to rest on the ground, bed, or sofa.[2]
  4. Inhale and then exhale. Once you're in the proper position, you can begin the breathing exercise. You'll need to inhale and exhale slowly.
    • Inhale through your nose. You should inhale into your abdomen, so the hand on your stomach moves upward while the hand on your chest remains as still as possible. You do not need to count but you should inhale until you cannot take in more air comfortable. [2]
    • As you exhale, tighten your stomach muscles. The air should be pushed out through your stomach as you exhale. Breathe through pursed lips as you let the breath out. Once again, counting is unnecessary. Just exhale until you cannot comfortably continue to breathe out.[2]
    • Continue this exercise for about 5 to 10 minutes.[2]
  5. Repeat throughout the week. Abdominal breathing has several benefits. It strengthens your diaphragm, slows your breath rate, decreases your oxygen demand, and will eventually result in your breathing more efficiently overall. Do the exercise 3 to 4 times a day for 5 to 10 minutes, increasing the duration with time.[2]

Practicing Sitting

  1. Sit down. It is probably easier for you to initially practice abdominal breathing while lying down. However, as you get better at the activity is might be more efficient do to so while sitting. If you can do deep breathing exercises sitting, you'll be able to do so while out of your house. This might be more convenient as you can practice during downtime at work.
    • Sit down in a comfortable, firm chair. Keep your knees bent and your shoulders and neck relaxed.[2]
  2. Place your hands in the right positions. As with the original exercise, you'll need to position your hands correctly. Place one hand on your chest and another hand on your lower stomach. Your hands will once again help you tell if you're breathing correctly.[2]
  3. Breathe in and breathe out. Once you're seated with your hands in the right position, you can begin breathing. Inhale and exhale, focus on the position of your hands as you do so.
    • Inhale through your nose, making sure the hand on your lower stomach rises while the hand on your chest remains relatively still. inhale until you cannot take in any more air comfortably.[2]
    • Contract your stomach muscles to exhale, breathing out through pursed lips.[2]
    • Continue this exercise for about 5 to 10 minutes.[2]



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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.successfulaging.ca/programs/stress/27.html
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Understanding_COPD/hic_Pulmonary_Rehabilitation_Is_it_for_You/hic_Diaphragmatic_Breathing
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