Introduction
We breathe a lot—roughly 10 times a minute! Have you ever wondered how the process of breathing works so smoothly? Our lungs allow us to inhale the oxygen our body needs, but they do much, much more. They also allow us to get rid of carbon dioxide, the waste product created in the body, and they play a vital role in singing, shouting, and even giggling. In this activity, you will make a model of a lung and use it to discover how air flows in and out of the lungs with ease.
Background
All cells in our body need oxygen to create energy efficiently. When the cells create energy, however, they make carbon dioxide. We get oxygen by breathing in the fresh air, and we remove carbon dioxide from the body by breathing out stale air. But how does the breathing mechanism work?
The Process of Breathing
Before you can understand proper breathing techniques, it is important to know a little about how your body breathes. When you breathe in or inhale, the muscle on the bottom of your ribcage, called your diaphragm, contracts and moves downward. This allows the lungs to have ample room to expand. The muscles between your ribs, called the intercostal muscles, contract to pull your ribcage upward and outward. As your lungs expand, the air is sucked in through your nose and mouth and travels down your trachea to your lungs. After passing through your bronchial tubes, the air finally reaches the air sacs where oxygen is passed into the bloodstream. At the same time, carbon dioxide travels into the air sacs from the bloodstream and is expelled from the body as you exhale. On average, this process is repeated between 17,000-30,000 a day, every day, as long as a person is alive.
A Better Way to Breathe
Since the are so many systems at play with each and every breath, it is important to allow all of these coordinating processes to work the way they should.
- This begins, first and foremost, with great posture. Sitting up straight allows the lungs to expand quickly and efficiently with every breath. Likewise, sitting up straight helps air to travel into the lungs, and carbon dioxide to travel out of the lungs unimpeded. If you are sitting at your desk and feel foggy or otherwise uninspired, take a moment to reposition your body with a straight back to notice an immediate improvement in how well oxygen is reaching your bloodstream and thereby your brain.
- While many people focus on completely inhaling in order to improve their breathing, most people only exhale 70 percent of the carbon dioxide in their lungs. Try, instead to push all of the air out of your lungs as though you are blowing bubbles. Not only will your body reward you with instant energy, but you will also notice how much more efficient you are in filling your lungs.
The Breath/Health Connection
Every system in the body relies on oxygen. From cognition to digestion, effective breathing can not only provide you with a greater sense of mental clarity, but it can also help you sleep better, digest food more efficiently, improve your body’s immune response, and reduce stress levels. Many people who practice yoga, especially those who focus on the practice of Pranayama, or breath control, have been shown to regulate the sympathetic nervous system, or the part of the body that controls breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
For more information on how proper breathing can affect your overall health or for help in your recovery, contact Elliott Physical Therapy today to find out how physical therapy can help you.