Are You A Chest Breather Or A Belly Breather?

Are you a chest breather or a belly breather?

Chest Breathing

When breathing from the chest we are using the chest muscles to inflate our lungs by filling only the top lobes of our lungs (shallow breath) causing a pulling on the rib cage. In chest breathing, the chest expands and contracts with each breath while the abdominal area does not. These breaths tend to be short and quick, using only a small portion of the lungs and delivering a relatively minimal amount of oxygen to the bloodstream. You might notice your self breathing like this when you are exercising, upset or anxious about something. Believe it or not most of us are automatic chest breathers and often breathe like this with out noticing.

Belly Breathing

Belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, refers to breaths that use your entire lung capacity. The diaphragm and abdominal muscles pull down on the abdominal cavity to fully inflate the lungs. The chest expands very little if at all while belly breathing, while the abdominal area expands significantly. Breaths taken while belly breathing are slow and deep, taking longer to inhale and exhale and delivering a significantly larger amount of oxygen to the bloodstream. The larger amount of air intake also allows you to exhale a larger amount of carbon dioxide, eliminating it from your body at a faster rate. Belly breathing is deliberate breathing and takes concentration and practice to use. But once your body is use to this type of breathing it will become more automatic for you.

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Test Your Breathing

To see whether you typically are a chest or belly breather, lie on your back with one hand on your abdomen and one hand on your belly. Breathe naturally, just allow your body to do what it does with out effort. If you see the hand on your belly rise and fall, you're a belly breather, but if the hand on your chest is rising and falling, you're a chest breather. If you’re a belly breather great, keep up the good work! For our chest breathers this is good news, you can learn how to belly breathe and guess what? It might change your life! I know right…

I have been a chest breather most of my life and when I started belly breathing my whole world shifted. I often feel silly saying this, like honestly something as simple as breathing can change your life. I know it’s a big claim but it really has changed my life & I want to share that change with you and your children. If I had this as a kid my whole ADHD world would have been much more manageable. This is why I created belliebuddies. They are super fun little animals that come with a story to help you and your little one learn belly breathing in a fun and simple way. they are due in stores November 2017 or you can Pre-order one on-line now.