Our bodies know how to breathe without us having to think about it, but did you know that breathing is a skill that you can practice and use to improve sleep,
back pain, athletic performance, and more? Obviously, we all know that the main function of breathing is to move oxygen into the body. What many do not know is that it is also important for pelvic floor function, core strength, and balance. When we inhale, the diaphragm descends to create space for the lungs to expand. This also creates pressure in the
abdomen which we call intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). IAP is important for many reasons. It creates tension in the deeper abdominal and pelvic floor muscles which allows us to create power and control during movement. For an athlete to generate the most power through their arms and legs, they must be able to use their breath to their advantage. Tennis is a fitting
example of athletes using breathing to their advantage. Tennis players do not grunt and yell for fun; it is the force of the breath that must take for them to generate the power they need to swing the racket and hit the ball. If they were holding their breath or breathing shallowly, they would not be able to generate the extreme forces needed to perform the way they do.
Recently, nasal breathing has been a focus of the health and fitness world. Nasal breathing has many benefits such as filtering and humidifying the air we breathe and creating IAP. Nasal breathing is our
natural way of breathing that many of us lose as we get older. Being conscious of how you breathe and trying to focus on breathing through your nose is a simple and effective way to help your body feel better and perform better