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Dr. Oz says most people do not breathe correctly.

How to Breathe Properly

One thing the guests at Miraval Spa learn is how to breathe correctly. In fact, Dr. Oz says, most people have been breathing wrong almost their entire lives.

When most people take a deep breath, they inflate their rib cages. "Doesn't work, and here's why," Dr. Oz says. If you inhale with your rib cage, you're not taking in as much air as you could if you inhaled with your diaphragm—a large muscle located beneath your lungs. When you exhale, you should allow your diaphragm muscle to move up to push the air out.

"This is the foundation of every Eastern religion—that you've got to first start with a deep breath. Now, how do you do that? In order for the diaphragm to come down, you've got to make room."

When you're taking true deep breaths, concentrate on a few things:

  • When you breathe in, push your belly out. Don't flare your nostrils or lift your rib cage up.
  • When you breathe out, pull your belly button way in.
  • Remember to relax.
Doing this regularly will increase the supply of nitric oxide in your blood, which relaxes your arteries, lets more oxygen into your blood and stimulates your brain. Correct breathing also moves the lymphatics, which helps clean your blood of waste material.

Published on January 01, 2006
Dr. Oz Show