Take A Deep Breath

Inhale, exhale – sounds simple enough. But experts say most of us are doing it wrong and losing out on great health benefits

- Jane Surtees

WE DO it as often as 20 times a minute, and around 30 000 times in a day, without a second thought.

Breathing is such a vital part of life but unless we have a cold or are running a marathon we barely notice our lungs taking in oxygen.

This is a shame because correct breathing techniques have long been associated with psychological and physical benefits – such as reducing stress and anxiety – thanks to increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain and body. According to experts, most of us are losing out on this health boost because we’re simply not breathing properly.

Check what happens to your body when you inhale. Do your shoulders and chest rise up towards your chin? And does your stomach tighten slightly, pressing in towards your abdominal wall and making you look slimmer and trimmer?

If so, you’re a vertical breather, according to US clinical psychologist and breathing guru Belisa Vranich – just like most people. And you’ll be surprised to know this isn’t a good way to breathe.

Vranich says we all breathe correctly when we’re born, but after only a few years – five or six – we start to pick up bad habits.