Diaphragmatic Breathing

If you have ever been a patient of mine, you have heard me talk about diaphragmatic breathing over and over and over again. I use it when my patients are coming for pain, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation issues, birth prep, urine leakage, and MORE. How can one exercise be beneficial to so many different populations?

What is diaphragmatic breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing is also known as deep breathing, belly breathing, or paced respiration. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates your thoracic/chest cavity (heart and lungs) from your abdominal cavity (stomach, intestines, etc). Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of breathing that fully engages your diaphragm to expand your lungs and exchange oxygen in and carbon dioxide out (the way our body was actually designed to breathe).

CREDIT: https://yogamedicine.com/power-diaphragm-part/

What are the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing?

There are both physiological (body) and psychological (mind) benefits from diaphragmatic breathing, including

• Decreased stress and cortisol hormone levels.

• Stimulate the vagus nerve to decrease sympathetic nervous system. This is the fight or flight system.

• Decreased heart rate and blood pressure.

• Encourages relaxation/lengthening the pelvic floor.

• Massage bowels from the inside to help stimulate regular movement of stool.

• If done right before bed, this can also improve sleep quality.

• *NOTE: This can also be an effective tool to help children manage “big feelings” and bring them out of blow up/tantrum.

How does it work?

Your diaphragm is designed to flatten (kind of pull down - see image on left below) as it contracts creating a negative pressure in your chest and helping your lungs expand (both down and out). Once your diaphragm relaxes, the lungs recoil (image on the right below). Think about how an umbrella opens 360 degrees. When this happens, your

• Lungs fill with air

• Vagus nerve (in charge of your rest and digest/parasympathetic nervous system - read more here) is stimulated

• Abdominal organs (guts) are compressed/massaged

• Pelvic floor moves

CREDIT: https://www.quora.com/What-causes-the-incomplete-expansion-of-a-lung

How do you perform diaphragmatic breathing?

1. Find a quiet space

2. Lie down or sit in a comfortable position

3. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly

4. Close your eyes

5. Inhale slowly through your nose (imagine smelling something sweet) only allowing your belly to expand (your chest should not move) - you can also think about your ribs as being an umbrella and you’re trying to “open” the umbrella

6. Purse your lips and exhale slowly (like you trying to make a candle flame flicker but not extinguish)

7. Feel the coolness of the air as you breathe in and the warmth of the air as you breathe out

8. Repeat for up to 5 minutes

9. NOTE: If you start to get lightheaded, just breathe normal for a couple of breaths

**There are also other ways to move your diaphragm with breathing. Check out Jen’s YouTube video for a full tutorial on how to complete diaphragm breathing.

If you would like additional resources/information on diaphragmatic breathing, here are a few video tutorials:

• For kids (Sesame Street): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mZbzDOpylA

• Amazing TED Talk on how to breathe and all of the benefits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sgb2cUqFiY

Or if you’re a SUPER NERD like me, there is an amazing book (Breathe by James Nestor) on all the ways breathing can positively or negatively impact our health.

Just keep breathing. Til next time... Dr. Jen