Breathing is a natural and automatic process that we often take for granted. However, the way we breathe can significantly impact our overall health. And we’re not talking about deep breathing and other breathing exercises we commonly hear about. Instead, there is a whole new way to look at proper breathing, which comes down to maintaining the right balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) in our bodies. In this article, we’ll shed light on the importance of optimal breathing and how dysfunctional breathing habits can affect your health.
Understanding the role of CO2
When you think of CO2, you probably immediately think of it as a waste product of respiration. However, CO2 is so much more than this! It plays a critical role in our body’s physiology. CO2 is essential for vasodilation, which keeps our blood vessels open and ensures proper blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues.
Deep breathing, often promoted for relaxation, can actually have counterproductive effects. When you engage in deep breathing, blood flow to your brain decreases due to the vasoconstriction of blood vessels. This can make the hemoglobin in your red blood cells less willing to release oxygen to the tissues that need it, resulting in an oxygen deficit. Therefore, optimal breathing is not about maximizing oxygen intake through deep breaths but about maintaining adequate CO2 levels. Shifting the focus from merely taking deep breaths to balancing CO2 is a whole new way of enhancing your health.
What is a dysfunctional breathing habit?
Dysfunctional breathing habits often develop in response to emotional trauma and become ingrained in our brains over time. One common dysfunctional habit is inhaling before fully exhaling. This behavior disrupts the normal balance of oxygen and CO2, leading to over breathing or hyperventilation, which results in decreased CO2 levels (hypocapnia).
When we overbreathe, we expel more CO2 than our bodies produce, leading to a range of symptoms such as dizziness, anxiety, brain fog, bloating, headaches, muscle cramps, and the list goes on and on. This is why proper breathing techniques focus on slow, controlled breathing that allows for complete exhalation and appropriate CO2 retention. You will notice that when you breathe correctly, the way our bodies were designed to, you will feel better and perform better.
How to analyze and correct your breathing habits
Optimal breathing involves understanding and correcting dysfunctional breathing habits rather than simply adopting new breathing techniques. Dr. Peter Litchfield, an expert in respiratory physiology and behavioral psychology, emphasizes the importance of analyzing our breathing behaviors, identifying triggers, and understanding the motivations behind these habits. For instance, people might overbreathe during stressful situations or when they are talking, leading to a CO2 deficit and various physical and emotional symptoms.
Tools like capnometers can measure CO2 levels and help you understand your breathing patterns. This is a popular device among athletes because ensuring proper breathing is an important component during cardio exercises. For example, when you’re running, proper breathing ensures that your muscles receive adequate oxygen. This not only enhances your performance but also prevents fatigue and cramps by maintaining the right balance of CO2 in your body.
Trust your body
A central theme in Dr. Litchfield’s approach is learning to trust your body’s natural ability to regulate breathing. You need to form a partnership with your body and understand that you are not a victim of your breathing habits. By recognizing and addressing the root causes of dysfunctional breathing, you can restore balance and improve various aspects of your health.
