How Many Breaths?
A client asked the other day, “I notice I tend to breathe shallowly. How many breaths per minute is normal?” Experts suggest that normal resting respiration should occur at a rate of 10 to 14 breaths per minute. On average, men tend to breathe more slowly than women.
Why is this relevant?
In this fast-paced, distracted world, we tend to live in an unconscious overwhelmed state of stress. As we become more and more stressed, our breathing rate increases and our breaths become shallow. Frankly, we just get too busy to breathe well ☹️
Remember, NORMAL and AVERAGE are two different things. So if we don’t pay attention, it’s easy for us to adopt 15+ breaths per minute.
This increased breathing cycle puts unnecessary strain on our hearts and signals to our brain that we’re in crisis mode. The result is a vicious cycle of faster, shallower and more effortful breathing—putting even more strain on the heart:
Your heart beats faster
Adrenaline and other stress chemicals pour into the bloodstream
Blood pressure rises
Muscles tense up
Digestion slows down
The brain & body perceive panic
To restore healthy breathing patterns, we must:
Start to pay attention
Teach ourselves how to breathe better
PRACTICE EVERY SINGLE DAY
This requires commitment to practice breathing over the long haul. It takes time to change, but it’s certainly worth it.
We recommend at least 5 minutes twice daily for 3-6 months.
Let us know how it goes!
Always remember, motion is lotion. We encourage you to Move Well, Live Well™.
If you’re interested in moving, feeling and/or performing better, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to help.