Written by: Roselyn Mathew / Communication Coaching / January 05, 2022 / 8 minutes read

Breathing is an automatic function of the body which many people don't think about. It is one of the most important processes to sustain life. It is observed that a lot of people have inadequate breathing. Proper breathing is essential not only for a healthy body and mind, but also for a good voice and effective speech.

The process of breathing is not just inhalation and exhalation. A lot of activities take place during this time. During inhalation, air enters the respiratory system through the nose, pharynx, larynx or the voice box, the trachea or the windpipe, the lungs and finally into the small passages of the lungs called bronchioles. The bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli. There is an exchange of gas between the inhaled air and the blood. After inhalation, there is more oxygen in the alveoli than in the blood across the capillaries. So, oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the blood through the capillaries. Then, gas transport happens, where the blood with oxygen leaves the lungs and travels to the heart. The heart pumps the oxygen rich blood into different parts of the body. Body after using up the oxygen sends back the blood which has more concentration of carbon dioxide and this is sent back to the heart. The heart again pumps this deoxygenated blood to the lungs and hence the carbon dioxide diffuses through the alveoli which is sent outside during exhalation.

There are mainly 4 types of beathing:

• Thoracic or shoulder breathing

In this type of breathing, the shoulder moves up and down during inhalation and exhalation. The top part of the lungs is at the level of the clavicle or collar bone. During this breathing, the intake of air does not take place beyond the clavicle. This is the shallowest pattern for breathing. 

• Thoracic or chest breathing

In this, the chest moves outwards and inwards during inhalation and exhalation. Most people have this type of breathing. 

• Paradoxical breathing

This is a type of breathing where the chest moves inwards and outwards during inhalation and exhalation. It is usually a sign of distress associated with damage of the structures associated with breathing. 

• Diaphragmatic/abdominal or belly breathing

This type of breathing is the most effective type of breathing. Diaphragm is a layer of muscle that separates the chest and the stomach. During inhalation and exhalation, the diaphragm moves down and up, and the stomach appears to move outside and inside. The lungs are used to their maximum capacity. 

There are numerous benefits while practicing diaphragmatic breathing. It helps to manage anxiety, depression and sleeplessness. There are also other benefits like lowering of heart rate, blood pressure, improvement of core muscle stability and needing less energy to breath as it slows the breathing rate. Apart from having a healthy mind and body, diaphragmatic breathing also helps in improving voice and speech. It helps in maintaining a proper posture, which is important during public speaking. It also helps in gaining more control of voice and speech. Diaphragmatic breathing helps to relax the muscles of the body, which includes relaxation of vocal folds and other muscles that help in speech. It also helps in projecting voice and having a clear speech. It has also been found to eliminate vocal fry and rising intonation pattern at the end of sentences.

Therefore, in order to have a good voice and speech, it is quite essential to have an adequate breath support. Diaphragmatic breathing can be easily learnt in 2 steps. The first step to learn this breathing is by lying down. Lie down on your back on a flat surface in a relaxed position. Keep a pillow under your head and another pillow under your knees. Keep a hand just above the stomach. Tighten your stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips. Slowly take in deep breaths and focus on moving your hand up and down. If you are unable to know whether your hand is moving you can also keep an empty cardboard box or a light object just about the stomach instead of your hand and can focus on moving that object up and down. 

Once you have achieved this, you can move on to the second step in a sitting position. Sit erect, relax your shoulder, head and neck muscles and then keep one hand on your chest and the other hand just above your stomach. Focus on moving the hand on the stomach and on having minimal or no movement of the hand on your chest. Once you are able to achieve that, it means that you are having a diaphragmatic breathing and hence have more breath support. This can be practiced 2 to 3 times a day, 5 to 10 minutes during each time. Once this practice is done for a few days, diaphragmatic breathing would be automatically learned and you would be able to breath effectively without having to focus on your breathing. 

A healthy breathing pattern is the first step for practicing a good lifestyle. Learning this takes only little effort and has lifelong benefits. 

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.