How Better Breathing Can Help You Achieve Your New Year’s Goals.

4 January 2023

Natasha Nicholas

4 min read

When was the last time you woke up feeling great? Energised, inspired, and full of zest for the new day? When was the last time you got through the week without an episode of overwhelm? Well, all of this can begin to change by simply breathing better.

If the only "new year "change you make is to learn how to mindfully breathe, then you will finish the year ahead of where you started it. Science supports that learning to mindfully breathe has such a significant impact on our health, performance, and well-being - and that it might be the "secret sauce" in pursuing your goals for the New Year.

Basic breath awareness and breath practices (in yoga we call this pranayama and in a therapeutic context we call this mindful breathing) can calm you when you are stressed or agitated, energise you when you are lethargic, and shift your physiological and psychological state when you’re feeling either blue. In addition to these "well-being " benefits, the latest research has supported findings that mindful breathing has significant physiological benefits. Unfortunately most people don't think about how they breathe until they can't breathe, but mindful breathing is critical for optimal health and peak performance.

What sets breathing apart from other automatic functions is that it’s the only one we can control and learn to master. As humans, we are wired for survival which makes our nervous system "sympathetic " dormant. This means that we are easily excited into a fight or flight state and with the constant stressors of everyday life this can become our home away from home which has catastrophic effects on our physical and mental health. When we cultivate breath awareness and learn to use mindful breathing, we can down-regulate the sympathetic nervous system and initiate the up-regulation of our more restorative parasympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, the latest research on the positive effects of mindful breathing shows us 7 significant areas breathing can improve our well-being:

1 Strengthen the immune system

Epigenetic research in the Netherlands found that 70 - 90% of all chronic disease is caused by our lifestyle and our environment. How we live, what and how we eat, how we move how we sleep, what and how we think, and how we breathe determine our health and our quality of life. Studies found that breathing slowly through the nose can be anti-inflammatory, influence how we metabolise energy and can change the gene expression that influences the immune function.

2. Slows the aging process

Put simply the faster we breathe, the more heat we create, the more cells we "burn" and the more we dry out bones and joints. The slower we breathe, the less energy we burn and the more slowly we age,

In addition, slowly breathing through the nose and pranayama techniques such as Ujjayi breathing also tone the Vagus nerve. As well as having a protective effect on the nervous system and increasing resilience to stress, this protective effect offsets the aging effects that stress brings on.

3. Burns Fat

This is a mind-bender as we have been conditioned into the idea that stressing the body will burn fat. Not only does stress result in elevated levels of Cortisol which leads to weight gain, stress sees our body use sugar as fuel instead of fat. However, when we breathe slowly, especially through our nose, we signal the body to utilise fat as fuel. When we wake up in the morning, we have about 30 minutes of potential energy in the form of sugars and about 30 days in the form of fat. When we are stuck in a stress state and signalling the body to burn sugar (glucose) we are quickly depleted and then seek our sugar and caffeine to offset this. This has a domino effect of poor health outcomes including weight gain, risk of diabetes, and disruptions to sleep. 

4. Conserve Energy

 Efficient energy use is key to optimal performance. Stress that is not beneficial to performance is wasted and when the stress response is "stuck on" we burn through our energy resources. We often then turn to increased uptake in sugars and stimulates which then disrupt sleep further disrupting the energy balance.

The breath can be used to balance the nervous system, heart rate, blood pressure, and energy levels. Different breathing techniques can both down-regulate the nervous system moving the body into a rest and digest state or energise and heat the body.

5. Reduce Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

When we slow our breathing, we slow our heart rate and reduce our blood pressure, this in turn improves our heart rate variability. This allows our parasympathetic nervous system to move into the dominant default position, making us less inclined to become overwhelmed by stressors. Keeping our heart rate and blood pressure lower can also reduce the risks of stroke. In addition, when we lower our heart rate and blood pressure, we produce less adrenalin and cortisol, which makes our bodies less acidic, and allows more serotonin to be produced. Increased levels of serotonin help us feel good, focused, and calmer, plus it balances cortisol when we are stressed or triggered. 

6. Change Gene Expression

Research has proven that how we live, which includes how we move, how and what we eat, what we expose ourselves to, and how we breathe influences our gene expression. For example, eating leafy green vegetables has been found to reduce inflammation and turn on gene processes that protect us against heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. 

Recent studies have shown that oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are contributors to disease and that when we breathe slowly through the nose, we "put out the fire" that promotes inflammation and we feed and nourish mitochondria. Overall, slow, mindful, nasal breathing has a protective effect on our physiology.

7 Better Sleep

The negative effects of poor sleep on our overall health and performance are well documented. Research tells us that changing our breathing can dramatically improve sleep quality.

Studies have shown that slow, deep breathing where we inhale through the nose and exhale at an even or longer breath count, can increase our serotonin levels. This not only helps us sleep by offsetting adrenalin and cortisol levels in our body which not only keep us "charged" but heat the body. In a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, people with chronic insomnia were studied to see if regular yoga practice, which included pranayama (breathing) would improve their sleep. After 8 weeks, participants showed improved sleep quality and duration.

The evidence that supports the importance of how we breath to our wellbeing and performance, so where to from here?

Just notice:

Begin with basic breath awareness. Take a moment to notice the following:

• Do I breathe through my nose or my mouth on the inhale?

• Do I hold my breath?

• Is my breath shallow, rapid or irregular?

• Do my shoulders rise as I breathe?

• Does my breath enter my upper chest only?

• Do I run out breath easily?

To Begin:

Joining a local yoga class is a great way to incorporate breathwork into a session that also offers overall health benefits. Most classes will incorporate slow mindful breathing, teaching you to inhale through your nose, and gently exhaling. You may also learn pranayama such as Nadi Shon dana (alternate nostril breathing), Ujjayi Breath and Dirgha Breath (2 Part Yogic Breath), all of which will help you master your breath, promote relaxation and turn off the stress response. it will also strengthen the diaphragm.

If you just want to explore breathing, simple options are square breathing, ocean sounding breath and the straw breath. These three breath patterns are based on yoga pranayama but westernised into simple and more therapeutic language. Many resources on platforms such as YouTube can show you how to practice these techniques.

Finally, a simple way to begin is "press pause”, "notice the breath", inhale slowly through the nose and gently exhale through pursed lips with an equal or extended exhale. Allow the breath to fill "the belly" on the inhale and empty on the exhale. Do this 3-4 times. The "press play" and move on. This handy intervention is not only helpful when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, but also to practice several times per day, to lower our heart rate and blood pressure, promote a calm state and increase our serotonin levels,

Each New Year we set goals for ourselves which are generally around being happier, healthier, calmer, fitter, a healthier body weight or perform better at work or play. Improving how we breathe, will support achieving this New Year ‘s North Stars.

So if you are only going to implement one "New Year" change, consider PAUSE - BREATHE - PLAY and use your breath to support a happier, healthier and calmer you.

For more information on local or online yoga sessions, private mindful breathing lessons contact Three Points Clinic on 0408465928.

Article references available on request.