Many people have vague medical complaints without realizing that they owe this to incorrect breathing. The combination of chest and belly breathing is the most ideal for us humans, but many people breathe the wrong way. How do you breathe correctly and how can you recognize incorrect breathing?

What complaints can incorrect breathing cause?

Incorrect and therefore too shallow breathing causes too little oxygen absorption. This causes complaints of fatigue, shortness of breath and headache. Coughing, snoring, apnea and nasal polyps can also be the result of incorrect breathing. Furthermore, incorrect breathing can cause panic attacks, anxiety, palpitations, poor concentration, dizziness and memory loss. You breathe with the diaphragm and not with the chest muscles.

Tensions and stress

Tensions and stress often cause us to breathe higher and more superficially. The body often automatically chooses superficial and irregular chest breathing. Breathing is a vital life function. In principle we don’t have to pay attention to it, but we can control breathing. Do you notice that you are breathing incorrectly? Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold your breath and then exhale slowly. Do not force the exhalation. Exhaling happens naturally. It’s a pretty passive thing. Repeat this a few times, focusing on your breathing. The ideal pace is to inhale for ten seconds, hold for ten seconds and exhale for ten seconds. By focusing on your breathing and increasing the air capacity of the lungs, you slowly release your tension. It’s almost a form of meditation.

How can you recognize incorrect breathing?

Many people breathe too much and too heavily. In the past, people did much more physically strenuous work, which encouraged correct breathing. Then we breathed an average of 12 times per minute. Nowadays, many people do activities that are physically less intensive, but breathing has become more intensive. Nowadays we breathe 15 times per minute. This phenomenon is called chronic hyperventilation and is not only caused by a lack of physical exertion, but also exercising too fanatically can contribute to this.During our lives we start to breathe incorrectly for all kinds of reasons. As many as 70% of people over the age of fifty breathe incorrectly. The causes for this are often too little physical exertion, obesity, but also incorrectly learned breathing after a long cold or other lung complaints.

More energy through your breathing

When you need an energy boost, sit up straight. You breathe in deeply through your nose, then breathe out through your mouth in a long sigh. Repeat this a few times. Then you inhale again through your nose and release the air through your mouth in a long aaaaahhhhh sound. You also repeat this a number of times. After the session you will notice that your energy has increased.

Lungs and nutrition

Broccoli and cauliflower contain the substance Sulforaphane (an antioxidant). This substance helps the immune system to remove harmful substances from the lungs. In this way, lung infections can be prevented. Eating broccoli and cauliflower can also make a positive contribution to cough complaints.

China oil

If you suffer from chronic coughing or shortness of breath, China oil can offer a solution. China oil may only be used by people over the age of four and by pregnant women only externally. Steaming with a steam bath to which China oil has been added or by inhaling China oil makes it easier to cough up mucus and gives you a feeling of more air. Reduce coughing complaints, after which you can promote correct breathing again through breathing exercises.