Five exercises to learn to breathe correctly in the age of uncertainty

Saying goodbye to a 2020 marked by the pandemic and receiving a hopeful 2021 is the greatest reason for calm to take a deep breath. Something that, unfortunately, we forget to do in our day to day. But if there is a lesson that we have learned during these months, it is the importance of self-care and in that breathing plays a fundamental role. If physical and mental health is the quintessential New Year’s resolution, now more than ever, learning to breathe seems like the best starting point. Which is why Katia Muñoz Olmo, Welthy Expert at the Royal Hideaway Sancti Petri hotel, doubly recognized at the 2020 World Travel Awards with the awards for “Best Beach Hotel in Europe” and “Best Hotel Suite in Spain”, tells us how achieve it.

Breathing is a basic function without which we could not live, but it is also an automated act, which causes many people to not breathe properly. “Most of the population uses only 30% of its respiratory capacity. Instead of expanding the lungs and filling them with air, we breathe shallowly. As a consequence, we lack vitality, we have headaches, anxiety, stress… and, Above all, it causes the body to malfunction. One of the most common mistakes is to inhale through the mouth when it should be done through the nose, since the nostrils heat the air so that it is better assimilated”, explains Katia.

With the phrase of the American writer Gregory Maguire very present, “Remember to breathe, after all it is the secret of life”, Katia Muñoz Olmo proposes five simple breathing exercises and various gestures to incorporate into our daily routine. So that the calm of leaving 2020 behind is not limited to the night of December 31, but that it accompanies us throughout the year 2021 (onwards).

1. Deep breath

Basically, it serves to calm down after a situation of stress or effort. It is based on taking air through the nasal passage, keeping it in the lungs and, finally, releasing it gently through the mouth. Each step should take about four seconds.

2. Diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing

It is similar to the previous breath, only in this case it will be abdominal. To carry it out, you need a space where you can be comfortable, preferably sitting or lying down. It is inhaled through the nose for about four seconds, the air is kept inside for a few moments and it is gently expelled through the mouth. Long inspirations are required, filling the whole body with air.

Placing one hand on the stomach and the other on the chest it is possible to check if the exercise is being performed correctly. The second should not move when inhaling, while the first should feel the air fill the belly. This achieves parasympathetic control and a decrease in heart rate. It is recommended to internalize this type of breathing in order to maintain the level of body activation.

3. Full breath

This technique combines deep breathing and abdominal breathing. The process begins with the expulsion of all the air from the lungs. Immediately afterwards, inhale gently and deeply until filling, first of all, the abdomen, to continue inhaling until the lungs and chest are also filled. The air is kept inside for a few seconds and, subsequently, the chest and then the abdomen are slowly expelled orally.

4. ‘Nadi Shodhana’ Breathing

Also known as alternate nostril breathing, its practice is common in yoga. One of the nostrils is closed to make a deep inhalation through the nostril that has been freed. Once the air has been sucked in, we proceed to cover the nostril through which it has entered and uncover the other, through which exhalation will occur.

5. Breath of Fire or ‘Kapalabhati’

Another technique from yoga. The breathing exercise begins with a slow, deep inspiration, followed by a rapid, forced exhalation from the abdomen. We proceed to increase the rate of inhalation-exhalation every two seconds up to a total of ten breaths. It is very energizing, but some caution is recommended, as it can cause hyperventilation and abdominal pain. Therefore, it is not recommended for people with high anxiety.

Other easy gestures to breathe better?

In addition to the daily practice of yoga and the exercises mentioned above, there are other tricks aimed at improving breathing. From maintaining a good posture, a simple gesture but capable of increasing lung capacity naturally, to stretching, since the lack of flexibility in the muscles of the rib cage prevents correct breathing. Cardiovascular training involving swimming and aqua fit is also highly beneficial.