Nose versus mouth breathing
Why you need to keep your mouth closed
I’ve been taking a pregnancy and postpartum certification 1 with Sarah Duvall, DPT. I actually just finished it recently, but when I signed up for version 2.0, I knew that I would also get version 3.0 when it was released later this year. It took me 8 months to finish version 2.0, but I loved it so much, I dove right into the 3.0 course! There are over 400 videos in each version with videos on anatomy, current research, exercises, and assessment tools, and I have learned so much! So, I wanted to share some of it here.
For the next several newsletters, I’m going to be sharing information on breathing that I have learned from this course and from other sources. And, I will be incorporating some pranayama practices that I have learned from Tracee Stanley as well! I am so excited about writing these, and I hope you’ll join me as they are released.
It’s interesting to me since I’ve started observing people breathe how amazingly difficult taking, or receiving, a deep breath can be. Now, I am not talking about how difficult it is when you have asthma, COPD, Covid-19, pulmonary fibrosis, or any other issue like these where you have specific lung problems or diseases. Because I work more often with people who have neck and back pain, I’m talking about how hard it can be to take a deep breath when you have pain. So, if you have neck or back pain, listen up! You will learn some things that might just blow your mind!
When you take a deep breath, because of the way our muscles are connected through our fascia, the diaphragm helps to massage the hip flexor muscles that attach along the lumbar spine. If you take a deep breath, you can help alleviate back pain by massaging those hip flexors.
The diaphragm and pelvic floor move synchronously together. As you inhale, they both broaden and flatten out of their domed resting positions. As you exhale, they return to their domed positions. As you breathe, try to bring awareness to this and see if you notice any change in your pelvic floor as you breathe in and out. If either the diaphragm or the pelvic floor is holding tension, it is hard to take a deep breath and it becomes hard to manage the pressure in the abdominal cavity. The inability to effectively manage intra-abdominal pressure can cause back pain, neck pain, hernias, and organ prolapse.
When the lower rib cage does not expand during a breath, the head tends to be brought forward causing neck stiffness and pain.
The right side of the diaphragm is in a more efficient, domed placement due to the liver being on the right side. Because of the heart being more on the left side, the diaphragm is less domed on the left. To create extra space for the diaphragm to flatten, more of a rib flaring on the left side can occur. This can cause weight shifting to one side and can cause changes at the foot with more pronation in one foot or the other.
If the stabilizing core muscles are weak, the diaphragm flattens to provide more support for the core and spine. This causes more stress to the lower back and hip flexors. People tend to breathe through their mouths when this happens.
When we are in a fight or flight mode, we tend to breathe through our mouths. This tends to be present with a shallow, upper chest breathing pattern.
A long exhale stimulates the Vagus nerve activating the parasympathetic nervous system which allows us to rest and calm our nervous system, especially when our exhales are slightly longer than our inhales.
Keeping the tongue suctioned to the roof of the mouth helps us to keep our mouth closed when we sleep. This helps keep our air that we breathe humidified and filtered.
When you inhale, the lower ribs along the front, sides, and back should expand outward in a 360 degree pattern. The belly and the chest will rise as well. The neck muscles and shoulder muscles ideally stay relaxed when we breathe. The ribs do not flare out excessively. The breath is quiet.
Humming is a great way to calm your nervous system. Practicing for a few minutes each day can help release nitrous oxide out of your nasal cavities as you hum. This helps your immune system, lowers your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure.
Mouth breathing should occur as little as possible. Practice exercising with your mouth closed unless you absolutely must open your mouth to increase oxygen consumption during heavy exertion. Practice keeping the mouth closed with a space between the upper and lower teeth to reduce clenching the jaws. Keep the tongue resting at the roof of the mouth. Breathe quietly through the nose for the best health benefits and for helping to reduce neck and back pain.
Practice mindful breathing to help you manage stress during this busy season, improve your immune system, help reset your nervous system into a more relaxed state, and reduce pain!
I’d love to know how it goes!
Take good care,
Sharon
This is not an affiliate post-I do not make money for recommending her course, but I would highly recommend the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification with Core Exercise Solutions if you’re interested!