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We’ve all been told how deep, calming breaths are key to fighting stress and relaxing our bodies. But what exactly happens in the body when we take slow, deep breaths?
Read on to learn what exactly happens when you breathe deeply.
10 Things that Happen When You Breathe Deeply
1. You fight stress. There’s a reason people tell you to take deep breaths when you’re worked up and stressed. When we’re stressed, our sympathetic nervous system is activated, inducing the ‘fight or flight’ response (which explains the jittery symptoms, dilated pupils, quickened breathing, etc.). You can directly counteract this response by breathing deeply, thus activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to shut off the sympathetic nervous system response. This will induce a calmer, more relaxed state almost immediately.
2. Your blood pressure lowers. Deep, slow breathing improves blood flow in your vessels and regulates your heart rate. This slows the heartbeat and stabilizes blood pressure.
3. You detoxify your body. When we take shallow breaths instead of breathing deeply, we’re not able to completely remove the carbon dioxide necessary for effective gas exchange. With prolonged shallow breathing, other organs have to compensate for this, which can cause additional bodily stress and elevates the risk of illness. When you take deep breaths, you’re allowing the body to remove as much carbon dioxide as possible, which detoxifies the body.
4. You improve your posture. Shallow breathing is often linked to poor or reduced posture, as the muscles in your chest and neck aren’t being properly utilized for correct breathing. When you breathe deeply, you naturally stand taller as the diaphragm expands and fills with air, and the muscles in your neck, back and chest fully contract.
5. You enhance cognitive functioning. Have you ever noticed that when you’re panicked or stressed, your breathing quickens and becomes shallow, and your thoughts become erratic? On the other hand, when you breathe deeply, your thoughts are clearer and more logical. With shallow breathing, oxygen flow to the brain lessens, which explains why our thoughts are erratic and confusing. With deeper breathing, however, you allow more oxygen to flow to the brain, which improves your cognitive functioning.
6. You release endorphins. Deep breathing releases those feel-good endorphins, which improves your overall mood and well-being.
7. You’ll sleep better. Deep breathing naturally calms your mind and body, so by practicing deep breathing, especially before bedtime, you’ll be able to fall asleep faster.
8. Your circulation improves. Allowing more oxygen into the body allows the heart and all your other organs to work more efficiently. Your circulation will improve, and you’ll also lower your heart rate, which over time can lead to less wear and tear on your blood vessels.
9. You reduce gastrointestinal stress. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated and your body experiences the fight or flight response, your digestive system will shut down in preparation for flight. This translates to bloating, constipation, and other symptoms of gastrointestinal stress. You can directly neutralize this stress by breathing deeply and deactivating the nervous system response, which will relax the digestive system and ensure proper functioning.
10. Your muscles relax. Ever notice how your muscles tense all over when you’re stressed? You may ball your hands into fists, your neck may stiffen, and your breathing becomes restricted. With deep breaths, you allow oxygen to enter the tissues of your muscles, which relieves the tension and tightness.
