Breathing is supposed to be automatic. And it is. Our brains subconsciously control our breathing based on the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood. It’s a pretty good setup. Imagine if you had to remind yourself to breathe all day long. And then while you were sleeping too.

Still, “Don’t forget to breathe” is a common refrain from fitness instructors, myself included. It sounds sort of dumb when breathing is a subconscious bodily function. But we need that reminder because we consistently mess with a perfectly good system. Here’s how we do it:

  • We hold our breath with heavy exertion.
  • We breathe shallowly, usually when stressed.
  • When cued to breathe, we often breathe ‘vertically’.

Breathing vertically is that classic deep breath stance where the shoulders rise and the chest puffs out. This position primarily fills the top of your lungs, the smallest part of them. What you really need to do is belly breathe.

Chapman Reservoir near Aspen, Colorado. Maybe the fog is reminiscent of breathing… maybe not. Pretty place though.

Here’s how to belly breathe:

  • Keep your shoulders relaxed and down.
  • As you breathe in, think of expanding your lungs down into your belly.
  • Imagine the bottom of your ribs expanding outward in all directions.

Those three cues should help you breathe better. Belly breathing is facilitated by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle located between your chest and abdominal cavities. When you belly breathe, the diaphragm flattens down and allows the lungs to fully expand.

Imagine this curved dam flattening to allow more water into the reservoir, just as your diaphragm flattens to allow more air into your lungs when you belly breathe.
(Chapman Reservoir Dam, completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939)

When to focus on belly breathing:

Here are some suggestions on how to fit in some conscious belly breathing.

  • Every so often during hard cardio work.
  • More frequently during slower strengthening moves (weights, core work, planks, etc.)
  • And then a few times throughout your normal day.

I’ve been working on my breathing when I do my one-minute planks. I also frequently think about my breathing when I’m driving. Especially at stoplights. Just a few conscious deep belly breaths can make you immediately feel better – even if you didn’t feel bad to begin with. It makes you realize how often you’re breathing shallowly.

Breathe deep. Belly breathe!