6 breathing mistakes you’re making – and how to breathe better

As far as bodily functions go, breathing is a bit mindless. We innately know how to do it the moment we leave the womb, and many people buzz about their day without thinking about inhaling, exhaling, inhaling… The lungs, diaphragm, and intercostal muscles work together to allow a person to breathe, explains pulmonologist Dr Jonathan Parsons. “In order for people to breathe efficiently, all of these body parts must work in unison,” he says. “If one part is dysfunctional, breathing will not be efficient.”

It’s only when we encounter an issue – asthma, other breathing conditions, or panic attacks, for instance – that we pay attention to our breath. Here’s what you need to know about breathing, from warning signs of dysfunctional breathing to ways to keep your lungs healthy and breathe better.

Breathing may be an involuntary action, but there are some danger or warning signs to know, says Dr Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network. If you have trouble taking a deep breath, gasp for air, or have trouble completing sentences, you probably have a breathing issue, she says. Other warning signs of trouble include coughing or wheezing.

One mistake people make is overthinking their breath, according to head and neck surgeon Dr Abbas Anwar. It’s a natural process, and overthinking it can lead to anxiety and sometimes even shortness of breath. Trust yourself. You’ve been breathing since the moment you were born. You got this.

Another mistake you may make is constantly breathing through your mouth instead of your nose. In fact, 30 to 50 per cent of adults are breathing through the mouth, especially in the morning, according to the journal Nursing in General Practice. Although this is OK at times, breathing through the nose is ideal because the nose can filter out toxins and allergens and humidify the air that you breathe, according to Dr Anwar.

Mouth breathing increases the risk of dry mouth. And it is associated with a higher risk of potentially life-threatening asthma (most likely linked to allergies that cause a stuffy nose), according to research in the journal Allergy. If your nose is so congested that you are breathing through your mouth, there’s an issue, Dr Parikh says. “However, breathing through the mouth is sometimes necessary for patients who have nasal obstruction, which can be due to things like allergies, sinus infections, or nasal polyps,” he says. “If you notice that you have difficulty breathing through your nose most of the time, you should visit your ENT [an ear, nose, and throat doctor] to help figure out the issue.”

“Often, we work out with tense shoulder and neck musculature while running, walking, or cycling, which limits the efficiency of our respiratory system,” he says. There’s an easy fix: focus on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth while working out. “Making an effort to consciously breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for balanced respiration during exercise leads to the most efficient respiration,” says Dr Parsons.

Not having an upright posture causes compression of the chest cavity, limiting the range of motion available for the diaphragm and intercostal musculature, Dr Parsons says. If you make this mistake, you may end up taking rapid or shallow breaths instead of slow, deep breaths that fill your lungs. “Making an effort to not be hunched over while breathing will increase efficiency,” he says.

“Sucking your belly in while breathing limits the diaphragmatic range of motion,” Dr Parsons says. “Relaxing the abdomen during breathing helps mitigate this issue.” In other words, if you suck in your stomach, you don’t let your body expand as it needs while you inhale. And that means you won’t get enough air. During inhalation, the rib cage and belly should expand. And during exhalation, the belly goes back in. To test how you’re doing, put a palm on your belly. When you breathe in, you should feel your belly expanding outwards beneath your hand. As you breathe out, your hand will follow your belly back in.

Although there’s only so much you can do to breathe in less air pollution, Dr Anwar points out that breathing in air pollution is a mistake that many people make even inside their own homes. “Often people are unaware of this, but polluted air can lead to airway irritation and may decrease the efficiency of oxygen transport from your lungs to your blood,” Dr Anwar says. “It is important to monitor the air quality inside and outside and work in environments that are clean and well-ventilated, if possible.” You may want to consider investing in an air purifier.

One of the best ways to breathe better is to fix the common breathing mistakes that you may be unknowingly making. So work on your posture, breathe through your nose, and focus on the other breathing mistakes listed above.

Once you’ve done that, focus on the following steps, which will help you breathe easier.

The most important factor in breathing properly is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, according to Dr Anwar. Working out regularly improves lung capacity and allows you to take in more oxygen with each breath, he says. Plus, exercise can help you lose weight. Maintaining an ideal weight allows your lungs to expand fully and prevents other breathing issues. Obesity increases your risk of certain breathing conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnoea, and can make symptoms worse.