Five breathing tips for summer from a respiratory physiotherapist

The Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation offers five simple tips to help people breathe better over summer.

The foundation suggests trying them during relaxing, recharging time. The advice comes from a regular column by Zoë Manderson, a respiratory physiotherapist in Taranaki and a member of the foundation’s Respiratory Advisory Board.

The first tip is to breathe through the nose. The foundation says this warms the air, adds moisture and filters it, which can reduce airway irritation. It suggests nose breathing when sitting or at rest, if you can.

The second tip is to focus on the out breath. The foundation says people who feel breathless often feel they are fighting to get air in, but a long out breath is more useful. It compares the lungs to a full glass of water: you need to tip some out to make room for more, so the next breath in comes more easily.

Third is tummy breathing. The foundation explains that the diaphragm is a big, dome-shaped muscle under the ribs, and it is the largest and usually most efficient muscle for breathing. When it contracts down to draw air in, it presses on the tummy and the tummy rises.

To check, rest a hand on your chest and a hand on your tummy. The foundation says other muscles around the upper chest help when more air flow is needed, but at rest the diaphragm usually does most of the work.

The fourth tip is to exercise. The foundation says some people avoid exercise because it makes them breathless, which reduces fitness, makes exercise harder and leads to more breathlessness. It recommends regular exercise to reverse that cycle.

The last tip is to let go. The foundation says people commonly hold tension around the shoulders, because shoulder muscles switch on for stability whenever the hands are used. Stress can also tighten them, and this can affect breathing pattern, so it suggests taking time to let the shoulders drop.