Thursday

Improve Your Breathing And Your Life

By Graham McKenzie

Breathing: it's something basic, something that everyone does without even thinking about it, but very few people realize that improving their breathing technique can also improve their performance in sports and other regular activities. Training the lungs is at least as important as training any other part of the body. One's health, too, can be greatly improved by proper lung training, and being in poor respiratory health many drawbacks.

If you suffer from breathing or other lung and respiratory problems, you should consult with your physician or a respiratory therapist. They will be able to offer suggestions on how you can improve and increase your lung capacity and offer a program that is best for you and your needs.

If a person is breathing properly, the body's cells and tissues are completely oxygenated, which gives them the energy they need to work at peak capacity. The positive results of this oxygenation include improved concentration, metabolism, relaxation, and immune system function, as well as a decrease in overall stress levels. Additionally, although some body toxins are excreted through sweat, urine, and other bodily wastes, a surprisingly large amount, approximately 70%, are discharged through breathing when we exhale. Proper breathing, therefore, is critical to the detoxification of the body.

Difficulty in breathing has many negative effects on the human body. There are potential problems that can arise with gasping for breath or panting. This can cause dizziness, losing the ability to focus and can lead to stress which is harmful to the whole body. Additionally, poor breathing performance can lead to muscles that are sore, issues with the digestive system, a tight feeling in the chest and numbness as well as other problems.

Every athlete is aware of the consequences of overexerting which can result in pushing the lungs too far. The results can be an out of breath feeling, fatigue and the need to gasp for air. Our breathing is controlled by 12 sets of respiratory muscles. These muscles react as any other muscles in our bodies do with exertion. Even our regular breathing is controlled by these muscles. These 12 muscles need to be exercised regularly just as all of our other muscles do to keep them healthy and to keep their performance at optimum levels.

One of the keys to increasing your performance is making sure your respiratory muscles get exercise. You can do this with the new and improved technology available in this day and age, and you only need to use it a few times a day to exercise both your inhalation and exhalation muscles.

Breathing is central to all concerns about performance, whether for athletes looking to go that extra mile or for seniors who'd like to climb the stairs without getting out of breath. If you have concerns about your respiratory health and strength, consult with a physician or respiratory therapist. But even those who are not having problems can improve their general performance and overall health through better breathing techniques. And fortunately, the technology exists to help you along. - 26706

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