BREATHE better

Each day, we breathe in and out a total of 11,000 litres of air. That’s equivalent to 600 large water cooler bottles of air being sucked in and pushed out by your breathing muscles. As you can see, breathing properly is very important. “Breathing correctly allows oxygen to travel through our bloodstream to our cells and convert nutrients (from food and drinks) to energy as well as break down nutrients and create energy for the muscles,” explains exercise physiologist and yoga teacher Leah Rowan. Here, she shares how you can improve your breathing technique and find more energy with every breath.

What are breathing muscles?

Breathing requires a whole orchestra of muscles in your torso to be working together. The primary breathing muscles are the diaphragm (the muscle separating the heart and lungs from abdominal organs) and the intercostal muscles (located between the ribs, allowing the ribcage to expand and relax).

But there are also accessory muscles in the neck, shoulders, chest and back, which only get recruited into breathing during exercise or when we’re stressed, along with the abdominal muscles, which push up the diaphragm and help move air out of the body.

How to strengthen them

“Learning diaphragmatic breathing (also known as belly breathing) is essential to breathing correctly,” explains Leah. “When we breathe from the diaphragm, we should feel the rise and fall of the belly. But when people are stressed, they overuse the accessory muscles in the chest, shoulders and neck, which leads to breathing less efficiently.”

To breathe fully, Leah says you should learn to breathe into the diaphragm – your shoulders shouldn’t rise. “Then work towards extending the length of the inhale and exhale to increase the lung capacity and strengthen the respiratory muscles,” she adds.

As soon as you wake up, drink a large glass of water to rehydrate before you do anything. Then, start your day with 30–45 minutes of exercise, such as a brisk walk or a yoga class. Tip: Laying out your workout clothes the night before can make it easier to stick to your plan when the alarm goes off.

A combination of protein, carbs and healthy fats gives you the slow-release energy to power through your morning and also keeps you full for longer. Good choices include:

Eggs on grainy toast (bonus points for added veg such as tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach)

A tub of plain yoghurt (unsweetened) with natural muesli and a chopped banana, or berries

A smoothie made with milk, plain yoghurt, your favourite fruit and some rolled oats.

Skip the muffin or cake with your morning coffee, and instead pour a big glass of water to go with your caffeine fix. This will help stop its dehydrating effect.

Snack on a piece of fruit and small handful of nuts, which are rich in energising B vitamins and fibre to keep you satisfied until lunch.

Avoid a heavy meal as it will zap your energy while your body works hard to digest it. This means skipping the stodgy pasta, fries and white-bread sandwiches and opting for complex carbs such as wholegrain bread or canned beans. This will keep your brain and body firing during the afternoon.

Don’t confuse your thirst for hunger – time for another big glass of water!

Beat afternoon sleepiness with a healthy snack such as a handful of nuts, a bowl of plain popcorn or several grainy crispbread with cheese.

Eat at least two hours before bed so your body has time to digest. Have a palm-sized piece of lean protein – think steak, fish or vegetarian options such as beans or tofu, and at least half a plate of colourful vegies.

A steaming cup of herbal tea is a good way to wind down before heading to bed.

Time to recharge with seven to eight hours of sleep.