So what makes breathing so special? Well, for one, it is what helps keep you alive. The air you breathe in is filled with oxygen (O2) that your blood carries to all the parts of your body including your brain. The air you breathe out is filled with carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a waste product that the blood takes from your body parts and is released by the lungs via exhalation.
A unique characteristic of breathing is that it normally takes place subconsciously without thought or effort. However, at any moment you can consciously control your breathing by controlling the amount of air you breathe or the pace you breathe at.
Breathing serves many other purposes other than supplying the body with oxygen and ridding it of carbon dioxide. But many take breathing for granted. Breathing is what helps relieve one from anxiety. The saying, "Take a deep breath" is common to many people because it is what helps relax a person who is under a lot of stress.
Take yoga for an example. If you have ever done yoga or taken a yoga class before, the warm-up in the beginning is conscious, controlled deep breathing. Therefore, just because breathing on a regular basis subconsciously does not mean that you never have to think about or control your breaths every now and then. There is an importance to taking deep breaths every now and then.
How is deep breathing helpful? The air you breathe in is filled in the tiny alveoli sacs in your lungs. When we breathe regular the alveolar sacs do not fill up to its maximum potential. If you are not athletic and you jog or run a long distance, you will find yourself out of breath very quickly. It is because the sacs are not used to expanding as much. It can be comparable to a rubber band. A new rubber band is more resistant to stretching than one that has been stretched for longer periods of time. The more stretch in your alveolar sacs, the better you can endure longer lasting activities.
Another beneficial reason for deep breathing is allowing sufficient amounts of oxygen to all the organs of your body. Regular breathing only gets the minimum amount of oxygen to all the organs in your body. Deep breathing allows for more oxygen to go through your system and more importantly, it allows an abundant amount of oxygen to go to your brain.
Now you know why regular deep breathing exercises are beneficial to your body's organs and your brain. It also aids in provided endurance when performing long-lasting and/or strenuous activities. So the next time you are stressed...take a deep breath!
Note: Breathing while exercising should be control, especially during strength training workouts. You should inhale when exerting a force and exhale when releasing the force. For example, a during a bicep curl you would inhale when lifting and exhale when releasing or extending the arm.
