Breathing - underrated effect on posture
One overlooked aspect of our daily lives and posture is breathing. Since our bodies alter their shape as we take thousands of breaths each day, it can be assumed that the impact of our breathing on our posture could be significant.
In my experience, breathing is the most important factor that can be considered when addressing a variety of postural deficits. It’s fun to see how people react when I tell them that their breathing is not good.
Although I like to tell people that they can start by identifying the symptoms of the problem, it is also important to consider the root cause of the issue. For instance, if you have a back or shoulder pain, then performing corrective exercises might help you feel better. However, if we take a global approach to addressing the issue, instead of focusing on the symptoms, we can actually improve the quality of life by implementing a comprehensive breathing pattern.
What we will cover:
breathing Anatomy
breathing cycle Biomechanics
Breathing on a physiological level
The nervous system’s role in breathing
How to know if you can’t breathe well
Exercises to improve breathing.
There are many joint actions involved in breathing, and if you can't breathe properly, your skeleton might be biased toward exhalation or inhalation. Being stuck in a certain orientation can restrict other joint actions, which can lead to various tissues and structures becoming repetitively stressed.
Breathing Anatomy
The two phases of breathing are inhalation and exhalation. The diaphragm is the primary muscle for inhalation, and it's a dome-shaped structure located below the lungs. During inhalation, the diaphragm descends into the thoracic cavity to draw air to the lungs. After exhalation, it should go back to its resting position.
This should be performed without the huge involvement of other accessory muscles, such as the pec minor and the scalene, etc.
The external intercostals are part of the abdominals' muscles. The other muscles that are involved in forced exhalation are the transverse abdominis and the oblique muscles.
Breath cycle Biomechanics
The pelvis and ribcage are the primary structures that we will focus on. There are two types of ribs: the upper and lower ones. The former is referred to as a pump handle, while the latter is more like a bucket handle. When we inhale, the ribs turn toward the internal rotation, while the exhalation pushes them outward.
ribcage's role in breathing is often undervalued. One of its undervalued functions is its ability to expand the posterior mediastinal cavity. A human spinal curve exhibits natural thoracic flection to account for this back portion of our thoracic cavity.
This is essential to maintain as it allows the scapula to glide freely across the back ribcage and expands the region.
Maintaining a Zone of Apposition helps expand this region. While the lower ribs should lift and rotate outward as they exhale, the lower ribs should stay in a low flare-up position. The concept behind ZoA is that it prevents air from going through the ribcage without resistance. A poor ZoA can be a sign of chronic flared lower ribs.
In addition to the ribs, the pelvis also plays a role in breathing. After inhalation, the pelvis widens and rotates with the ribcage, which lowers the pelvic floor as the gut descends.
Physiology of Breathing
Ruth et al 2012 noted that during low-intensity movements and rest, breathing should be done through the nose. Compared to mouth breathing, nose breathing has a significant resistance to air flow, which increases the uptake of oxygen by around 10 to 20 percent.
Simple diffusion occurs when the oxygen diffuses into the blood from alveoli. On the other hand, the CO2 from blood enters alveoli.
A concentration gradient is required in diffusion. For this reason, the pressure or concentration of O2 in alveoli should be higher than in the blood, while the pressure or concentration of CO2 in alveoli should be lower. This process can be accomplished by breathing, which brings fresh air into the alveoli and lungs.
The Nervous System's Role in Breathing
Although gas exchange occurs within the lungs, the central nervous system is responsible for controlling the respiratory system. With regard to breathing, we have control over its functions. But this is regulated automatically.
The portion of the central nervous system that controls respiration is located in the medulla and the pons.
The phrenic and other nerves send nerve impulses to the intercostal and diaphragm muscles, which control breathing rhythm.
The two primary branches of the autonomic nervous system are the parasympathetic and the sympathetic.
The brain signals our body to respond to an alarm or a threat by triggering a more sympathetic state. Conversely, when we're at rest and our bodies are working on various processes, such as digestion and repair, we revert to a parasympathetic state.
Slow, controlled breathing is known to be associated with a more parasympathetic response, while shallow, short breaths are linked to a sympathetic response. If we're not able to breathe properly due to the lack of ribcage expansion in our bodies, we might develop a biased sympathetic response.
How To Know If You Potentially Can't Breathe Well
The development of poor breathing habits can be seen in various ways throughout the body. For instance, a protruding lower ribcage, anterior pelvic tilt, and a flat spine can restrict the expansion of the ribcage.
Poor diaphragmatic function can lead to chronic neck tension. It can also place excessive stress on the accessory breathing muscles.
These tests can be used to check if you're not breathing properly.
The anterior ribcage expansion test determines if you can add more space to your ribcage. If you're at around 60-70 degrees, your front ribcage might be stuck in an internal rotation state, which prevents you from rotating.
The test is performed to determine if your posterior ribcage can expand. If you can't reach the upper limit of your elbow's velocity, this means that your upper back has a restricted area.
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