Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises

Video Transcript

"Diaphragmatic breathing is intended to help you use your diaphragm correctly. This is one of the techniques that you can use to find out if you are in fact breathing from your diaphragm. The first technique that we use is lying down. And what you want to do is you want to place one hand on your upper chest and your other hand just below your ribcage. Then you're going to take your deepest breath in and then you're going to exhale. That will allow you to feel if you are breathing from your diaphragm. The second technique that I'm going to use is you're seated in a chair, you're making sure that your knees are bent, you're nice and relaxed and comfortable. Again, we're going to do something similar, we're going to place one hand on the upper chest and the other hand right below the ribcage. Now this technique is different than the first. We're going to inhale and then we're going to exhale through pursed lips. So we want to keep the upper hand as still as possible letting the other hand flow in and out. Deep breath in and push the hand out, perfect, excellent. That's how you know you're using your diaphragm correctly. To breathe correctly through your diaphragm, you should do this about 3 or 4 times a day, about 5 to 10 minutes each time. At first it is going to be difficult and it is going to be tiring. But soon it will come automatic and easy."