Diaphragm and Breathing Basics
At Ascend, we wholeheartedly believe that effective breathing leads to effective movement—and yes, that means we're diving into how you breathe. Before you roll your eyes at yet another coach or therapist telling you that you're "breathing wrong," let’s explore why diaphragmatic breathing truly matters. It's not just about inhaling and exhaling; it’s about core activation, muscle tension, and nervous system regulation.
About Those Deep Core Muscles
Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the best ways to activate your deep abdominal muscles with skill and precision. This practice can help relieve hip, pelvic, or back pain, among other issues. Once you master engaging the right muscles, you'll build a solid foundation for developing a stable core. This stability then enables you to progress to more challenging positions and movements, ultimately enhancing your strength and flexibility.
Reducing Unwanted Muscle Tension
The diaphragm is our primary breathing muscle, located just below the lungs. When relaxed, it resembles an upside-down bowl. During inhalation, it flattens down, creating space for the lungs to fill with air. This motion is subtle at rest but becomes more noticeable with deep breathing. As the diaphragm descends, the stomach muscles lengthen, expanding the belly, while the pelvic floor allows for controlled lengthening downwards due to abdominal pressure. Upon exhaling, the pelvic floor lightly contracts upward, and the abdominal muscles engage to push air back out, restoring the diaphragm's natural shape.
If the diaphragm isn’t activated properly or a lower core muscle is tense, it can restrict this natural movement. In this case, you may end up lifting your chest to make space for your lungs, which can create unnecessary strain, especially during quiet activities like sitting at a desk.
That’s why we emphasize diaphragmatic breathing to help assess whether overactive muscles are ready to relax. If your neck muscles are tense, practicing slow, deep breaths in a supported position—with a hand resting lightly on those muscles—can signal to your body that the diaphragm should take the lead, allowing your neck to ease up. Some may also benefit from placing their hands on their lower stomach to encourage core expansion during inhalation and gentle contraction during exhalation. These slow, deep breaths can even help relax other muscles by positively influencing the overall nervous system.
Regulating the Nervous System
One of the most significant benefits of diaphragmatic breathing is its ability to upregulate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Here’s a quick overview: our autonomic nervous system has two main components: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the PNS.
The SNS is known as the “fight or flight” response. Recently, we’ve begun to recognize it as the “fight, flight, or freeze” response—acknowledging the moments when stress can leave us feeling paralyzed. The SNS activates during exercise or in response to danger, raising blood pressure and heart rate while diverting blood from organs to the limbs for action. While this reaction is essential for survival, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, jitteriness, or sweating in non-threatening situations, like public speaking.
On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system is our “rest and digest” mechanism. It becomes active when we’re relaxing, sleeping, or digesting food, directing blood flow back to the organs and promoting feelings of calm and relaxation.
Individuals dealing with pain, instability, or trauma often experience heightened sympathetic responses, as their bodies perceive threats and mobilize resources to cope or escape. The good news is that encouraging parasympathetic activation can be as simple as lengthening your exhales while breathing.
Incorporating deep breathing at the start of a session can help your body feel calmer and more prepared to engage with new movements. Alternatively, finishing a challenging session with deep breathing can reassure your body that it is safe, promoting a return to balance and relaxation.
Now, Let's Get Started
So here’s the simple part: lie on your back and breathe. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds (or whatever feels comfortable) and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds (or whatever feels right). As you inhale, notice your ribcage expanding and your abdomen gently rising in all directions. When you exhale, feel your abdomen slowly contract and your ribcage close inward. You may discover that you have more control in one direction than the other, so feel free to place a hand on areas where you want to encourage movement or reduce tension.
From here, the only way is up!
