The diaphragm is a thin muscle located just below the lung, and just above the abdominal cavity. Its primary function is to help us breathe. But it also helps stabilize the lumbo-pelvic-hip-complex. In short, a strong diaphragm is vital to life.
According to the NIH, “When you breathe in, or inhale, your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downward. This increases the space in your chest cavity, into which your lungs expand.”
There is further evidence that, if the diaphragm cannot fulfill its purpose, other muscles will assume its role. This is one reason some of us perform shallow breathing, also known as chest breathing. This type of breathing can lead to muscle tension and doesn’t provide adequate amount of oxygen our bodies need. Plus, many of us perform chest breathing when our diaphragms work fine. This happens when we are stressed, exercising or simply not taking the time to breathe properly.
The best way to strengthen your diaphragm and practice better breathing is through various deep-breathing exercises such as the practice of diaphragmatic breathing. This involves a few steps that must be performed with precision. If you are not familiar enough with breathing exercises to perform them safely, seek the guidance of a Sun City personal trainer today!
While many of us refer to proper breathing as belly breathing or abdominal breathing, this is misleading. We don’t breathe through our stomach. Our stomach expands during proper breathing as a direct result from the pressure of movement of the diaphragm when it gets engaged in the inhaling process. In other words, the abdominal wall is pushed out as room is made for the lungs to expand.