While we breathe around 20,000 times a day1, breathwork challenges us to mindfully regulate our breathing.
The benefits of breathwork and how to do it
ARTICLE
1 November 2024
3 min read
3 min read
Breathwork is an ancient practice that can help you relax, regulate your thinking and improve your health.
What is breathwork?
Breathwork combines breathing exercises with mindfulness to change our breathing patterns and improve our wellbeing.
Though it’s existed for thousands of years, breathwork has evolved over time as various cultures developed their own technique, from pranayama or ‘yogic’ breathing in India, to piko piko breathing in Hawaii.
While most people can do breathwork, if you’ve had a stroke or an existing cardiovascular issue, consult with your doctor first.
How breathwork improves our health
Aside from being a free and accessible practise, there’s plenty of evidence to support the benefits of breathwork too. While some techniques have been studied more than others, there’s nothing to suggest that one way is best. Overall, breathwork can2:
- Boost mood.
- Reduce stress and deepen relaxation.
- Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Decrease high blood pressure.
- Help with symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Improve alertness, focus and memory.
- Increase heart rate variability.
- Promote creativity.
- Support sleep.
- Soothe emotions associated with grief and trauma.
But wait, there’s more. Breathwork can even improve our quality of life over time. As we age, problems can arise such as tissue deterioration, largely due to a lack of proper circulation, which can be easily improved by our breathing3.
4 breathwork exercises to try
With so many techniques around, it can be hard to know where to start. The good news is, breathwork exercises don’t take long, so you can experiment with a few techniques until you find the one that suits you. Some popular methods for beginners are:
Box Breathing:
What it does: Relaxes your mind and body by calming your nervous system.
How to do it: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat as often as you’d like.
4-7-8 Breathing
What it does: Reduces anxiety and supports sleep by triggering your body’s relaxation response.
How to do it: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, exhaling for 8 seconds. Repeat several times.
Coherent breathing:
What it does: Reduces stress, improves mood and supports your overall health by breathing at a pace that supports cardiovascular function.
How to do it: Inhale for six seconds, exhale six seconds.
Diaphragmatic breathing:
What it does: Helps reduce stress and blood pressure, improves muscle function and aids relaxation by delivering more oxygen throughout the body.
How to do it: Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your stomach. Take deep breaths, keeping your chest still and allowing your belly to expand fully, engaging your diaphragm.
Getting started
The beauty of breathwork is its simplicity, it’s easy to do and doesn’t take long to reap the benefits. Starting small and practising even once or twice a week can improve your wellbeing now and in the future.
To help you on your way, try to:
- Be patient: Like meditation, breathwork takes practise, so don’t be disheartened if it takes a few goes to get the hang of it.
- Notice your breathing throughout the day: Does it change, if so, how? Does it impact how you feel? Making a small, conscious effort to do this can improve your practise.
- Experiment: Try different techniques to find one you like.
- Close your eyes: This can help your concentration while you practise.
- Practise regularly: A few sessions a week can improve your wellbeing.
- Follow a guided exercise: Like Calm app and Headspace.
And remember, by simply giving mindfulness a go, you can also earn up to 3,000 AIA Vitality Points each membership year; that goes towards upgrading your AIA Vitality Status, unlocking greater rewards and discounts!
While it can take a few attempts to get into the swing of breathwork, this free and simple practise can improve your health in big ways.
Footnotes
Staff Writer
Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.
Copyright © 2024 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice. The source information of the articles is current as of the date of publication and may be subject to change. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate, AIA Australia expressly disclaims any and all liability for representations or warranties, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, the information.
Share
Related Articles
This inspirational content is brought to you by AIA Vitality
AIA Vitality is a science-backed program that helps you learn more about your health,
offers ways to improve it and motivates you with rewards along the way.
offers ways to improve it and motivates you with rewards along the way.
