Gasp… Two ways to quickly calm down your heavy breathing

If you want to calm down quickly when your heart is racing and your breathing is ragged—after exercise, before an interview, or otherwise—focus on just two things: posture and exhalation.

◇'Tripod pose' increases lung capacity

You can quickly calm your breathing by adopting the tripod pose. This pose involves sitting or standing, leaning forward, and supporting your upper body with your hands or arms on another surface, such as your knees. Lung capacity increases, the muscles used for breathing become more active, and breathing becomes less difficult.

A research team led by Professor Tomoyuki Ogino of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Hyogo University School of Medicine in Japan studied patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to determine the most comfortable breathing position. They found that the tripod position resulted in the largest lung volume and the lowest dyspnea index. A study published in 2018 investigated how the tripod position increases lung capacity. Leaning forward caused the diaphragm to descend and abdominal muscle activity to decrease, increasing the amount of air that could be taken into the lungs. It was confirmed that the sternocleidomastoid muscle, a muscle that wraps from the front to the sides of the neck, increased activity, improving breathing efficiency.

When assuming this posture, you must consciously straighten your back. A study led by Professor Fang Lin of Northwestern University in the United States confirmed that hunched posture reduces lung capacity and impedes diaphragmatic movement.

◇If you focus on exhaling, your breathing will become slower.

If you are in the tripod pose, try the 'exhalation breathing method', which involves exhaling deeply. . Inhale deeply through your nose while relaxed, then inhale briefly again to fill your lungs, then exhale slowly and deeply through your mouth. Exhale for twice as long as you initially inhaled. Don't stop at just one or two repetitions; repeat for about five minutes to see results.

Breathing is the only way we can consciously influence our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates our body's rhythms, is comprised of the sympathetic nervous system, which promotes arousal and tension, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and rest. Dyspnea is caused by overexcitation of the sympathetic nervous system. Inhaling and exhaling, increasing the duration of exhalation, can calm the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

A research team at Stanford University School of Medicine in the United States divided 108 experimental participants into four groups: ▲ long inhalation ▲ long exhalation ▲ inhalation and exhalation sighs ▲ meditation, and had them practice the assigned breathing method or meditate for 5 minutes a day for a month. The group that practiced the long exhalation breathing method showed the greatest reduction in stress and higher scores for positive emotions such as joy and peace.

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Stress, sleep quality, and deep sleep

They say it's related to the autonomic nervous system.

You can stabilize yourself just by breathing.

It's also effective in relieving tension.