Exploring the Significance of Proper Breathing Habits for Health

Proper breathing habits have a profound impact on overall health, with poor breathing habits being prevalent in around 90% of the population. Poor breathing, such as mouth breathing, shallow chest breathing, and holding one's breath, can lead to asthma, anxiety, stress, and even severe health issues like stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. The modern sedentary lifestyle and industrialization have contributed to the decline in proper breathing techniques. Efficient breathing involves breathing deeply into the belly, similar to how healthy animals like dogs or infants breathe. Chest breathing is inefficient as it only utilizes a small portion of the lungs, leading to increased stress signals to the brain and difficulties in focusing and emotional regulation. Monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) can offer insights into stress levels and the effectiveness of breathing habits, as a higher variability between heartbeats during inhaling and exhaling indicates lower stress levels.