Don’t waste your breath.
Turns out there’s yet another reason to dunk on mouth-breathers: Open-mouthed inhales are not only unflattering, they’re also not great for your health.
While there’s technically no “wrong” way to breathe, Dhara Shah, a physical therapist and board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist at Emory University Hospital, tells The Post that there are “less effective” forms of breathing.
And mouth-breathing — plus “shallow, unsupported breaths with the chest” — are the top two.
It’s true that these forms of breathing likely won’t kill you, but deeper, diaphragmatic breaths through the nose are the gold standard. They “allow the nostrils to filter, warm, and humidify the air, benefits that are missed when breathing through the mouth,” Shah explains.
They also help regulate your nervous system, allowing you to stay calm and put less stress on your internal organs.
Rapid, shallow breaths, however, “mimic the body’s natural panic response, creating unnecessary stress,” Shah says.
She adds that feeling short of breath when at rest may be a sign that you’re breathing mostly through the chest and not the diaphragm. You can also assess your breathing quality by laying on the floor with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
“Notice which one rises first,” Shah says. “If you find that your chest moves more than your stomach, this is an indication that you are not using your diaphragm.”
A lot of the time, poor breathing habits develop as a result of other factors, like underlying conditions, chronic nasal congestion, anxiety, and some lifestyle choices, Shah explains. Couch potatoes especially might be a higher risk of developing problematic breathing techniques.
Sedentary lifestyles “can lead to a weakening of the muscles used to support proper breathing, especially when it is paired with poor posture,” Shah says. “Maintaining an upright, comfortable position is the easiest way to engage your diaphragm.”
But changing your habits, especially something as subconscious as breathing, is no small feat. Shah recommends the following five steps to try to train your breaths to be more beneficial.
Five steps for better breathing
- Find a comfortable position: “Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and a pillow under your head.”
- Relax your body: “Before you begin, take a moment to relax your shoulders, neck and chest muscles. The goal is to let your diaphragm do most of the work.”
- Inhale slowly through your nose: “Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. As you inhale, focus on expanding your abdomen. You should feel the hand on your belly rise, while the hand on your chest remains relatively still. This indicates that your diaphragm is engaging.”
- Exhale slowly through pursed lips: “Gently purse your lips as if you’re about to whistle. Slowly exhale, allowing your abdomen to fall inward. You should feel the hand on your belly move down. Try to make your exhalation longer than your inhalation, perhaps counting to two during the inhale and four during the exhale.”
- Repeat and focus: “Continue this pattern, aiming for smooth, controlled breaths. The key is to keep your chest and shoulders relaxed, letting your belly rise and fall with each breath.”
With practice and repetition, diaphragmatic breathing can become second-nature, but it might require a little commitment. Shah suggests taking a few moments each day to work on breathing, ideally two to three sessions a day for five minutes each.
Eventually those deeper breaths will come more naturally — and you can breathe easy knowing you’re doing your nervous system a solid.
