Poll: Do You Normally Breathe from Your Upper Chest or Your Diaphragm?

[JasonP]

The reason I ask is because from what I read, the normal relaxed way of breathing is from the diaphragm but the fight or flight way to breathe is from the upper chest.

I was an upper chest breather for years and I have a friend who says she breathes from the upper chest.

However, earlier last year I was using an ab wheel everyday for about 10 days. To be honest, I'm not sure if you are supposed to do that or skip a day to let the muscle heal.

Anyways, around the 10th night I think I was lying in bed and all of a sudden my body did some kind of automatic switch and switched me to diaphragmatic breathing. I guess strengthening my abs allowed this. Supposedly with the diaphragm you can get deeper breaths. So yeah, it's been the normal way I have been breathing since even after I stopped using the ab wheel for some months. I am using it some now but I am looking at better ways to strengthen my abs even more. If you have any exercises to suggest for me, please post a YouTube video of them for me.

 

[GoatSheep]

Definitely an upper chest breather and I have an anxiety disorder. Since I read in another thread where you brought this up I've tried to focus on breathing from the diaphragm when I remember. I don't know that I'm doing so great though. But I'm going to try and stick with it.

 

[JasonP]

Definitely an upper chest breather and I have an anxiety disorder. Since I read in another thread where you brought this up I've tried to focus on breathing from the diaphragm when I remember. I don't know that I'm doing so great though. But I'm going to try and stick with it.

I couldn't do it well at all until I made my abdominal muscles stronger. I have been working on them more lately and have been able to get a much deeper breath now than before. I think I got an ab wheel at Walmart for less than 8 dollars at the time but lately I have tried doing different exercises for my abdominal muscles using my body weight and sometimes I have been using the ab wheel too. I found the ab wheel was easier to start with for me. My idea is that if I make my diaphragm muscle stronger I will be able to take deeper breaths maybe just sitting around without even thinking.

 

[momus]

I suspect that most people are chest breathers. Not until I discovered meditation did I truly understand what they were talking about. If you're a regular belly breather, congratulations, its a lot more efficient. I found I had to do some occasional sit ups and stuff to keep my belly firmish, as belly breathing distends it.