How to Strengthen Breathing

Proper breathing techniques can enhance singing and physical ability and can help combat stress. As you age, you might experience a reduction in muscle range, which can affect your lung capacity, and you may have developed poor breathing habits. This reduced capacity can affect blood oxygen levels, which may have a negative effect on both your health and your energy level. Breathing exercises can help you learn better breathing habits and increase your lung capacity.

Instructions

    • 1

      Learn to use your diaphragm, the large muscle under your lungs that moves your lungs, as you inhale and exhale. When you slouch and breathe shallowly, you do not use your diaphragm fully. Sit up straight or lie down flat on your back. Use your hands to feel how your belly moves, just below your ribcage. Practice inhaling deep, regular breaths that expand your belly and chest. Exhale, contracting your belly and chest. Practice the inhaling and exhaling slowly, making sure you inhale and exhale as fully as possible.

    • 2

      Practice using your breath to create and maintain sound. The sound can be a steady note, if you sing, or a hum. The purpose is to help control a slow, steady and full exhale. Count slowly as you exhale and make the sound, to find a comfortable length for your exhale, and practice making your exhales all go to that count.

    • 3

      Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth is another important technique to practice. This technique can help you during exercise; as an added bonus, breathing in through your nose helps cool your brain, which will cut down on impromptu yawning. Again, you may need to practice this by sitting up straight or lying down flat.