Shallow breathing

Are you a shallow breather like me? Most people are shallow breathers or upper chest breathers. We usually don’t consciously think about breathing as it happens naturally. Shallow breathing prevents the body’s ability to take in oxygen and may lead to overall diminished health. It tricks the body into thinking you are always stressed. Shallow breathing may impair your thinking, increase blood pressure and heart rate. It keeps you from utilizing the respiratory muscles which can lead to reduced physical ability, lower endurance and becoming winded faster. Shallow breathing may cause sleeping issues and headaches. So what can we do? The techniques to breathing deeply are easy to learn but remembering to practice a few times a day might be harder. There are breathing apps that send you alerts, when you meditate, when you go to sleep. Anything that you do on a regular basis throughout your day can act as a reminder. I do it when I walk my dog. Even if it may feel unnatural to breathe deeply, it comes with many benefits. It allows your body to fully exchange incoming oxygen with outgoing carbon dioxide, slowing heartbeat, stabilize blood pressure and lower stress. Now take a deep breath and enjoy a lovely day 💚💚💚💚C