10 Benefits of Breathing Deeply

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By Dr. Paul Haider

Most people hold their breath and this can cause aches, pains, tension, hormonal changes, which, can eventually lead to disease. The very simple act of breathing deeply can bring about many beneficial health changes… and the best part is that it is FREE.

Breathing seems simple, yet most people frequently hold their breath or take shallow, ineffective breaths. This causes great physical, mental, and inter-relationship stress… but it’s easy to change if we remind ourselves to breathe deeply.

Even the prestigious Harvard Medical School has found the simple act of breathing deeply has many health benefits that are taken for granted. Most people breathe into the top of their rib cage instead of breathing by using their diaphragm. Spend a few minutes watching babies in a newborn area of a hospital, they don’t have a care in the world and they breathe with their bellies going in and out. This is how we are supposed to breathe. It is difficult to breathe deeply if we are trying to hold in our gut and look good. Often, during times of stress, we hold our breath, and over time this can lead to disease.

Here are a few benefits of breathing deeply:

 
10 Benefits of Breathing Deeply Breathing Deeply Benefit #1 – Boosts Our Immune System

Breathing deeply causes our immune system to work correctly, thus allowing antigens, white blood cells, and all the rest of the immune system processes to do their job. Our lymphatic system is improved by the simple act of breathing deeply, thus more toxins and invaders are rounded up and kept under control.

 
Breathing Deeply Benefit #2 – Good Digestion

When we breathe deeply, our digestive system works correctly because it stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for rest and digestion, which directly stimulates good peristalsis of our gut and allowing digestive enzymes to be expressed in their correct proportions.