Breathing exercises for weight loss and health. Breathing exercises and techniques for training

People constantly talk about the benefits of morning exercises, but we have never heard of the fact that our heart needs regular breathing exercises. We associate this practice exclusively with yoga, although life shows that our heart simply needs such breathing training.

If in previous times such training for the body was active physical labor, now, when most people work in offices, do not receive the necessary stress, and besides, do not remain in the most comfortable position for a long time, breathing exercises become even more relevant.

Health depends on breathing

In order to understand how breathing affects human health, you need to know about some features of this process.

So, a healthy person takes approximately fifteen breaths per minute, passing almost 6 liters of air through the lungs during this time. The respiratory cycle, that is, the time from the beginning of inhalation to the end of exhalation, is four seconds (two seconds for inhalation and two for exhalation). With an average pulse of 70 beats per minute (80 beats on inhalation and 60 on exhalation), the heart manages to contract almost five times in this short period of time (three times on inhalation and two on exhalation).

Slightly different indicators for a sick person. In a minute he inhales air more than twenty times, and his pulse increases to 80 beats. in a minute. As for the respiratory cycle, it is reduced to 3 seconds, during which the heart manages to contract no more than four times. Changes in heart rate during inhalation and exhalation are practically unnoticeable in this case.

If we talk about an athlete, then a trained person is distinguished by rare breathing (only eight breaths per minute), and his pulse is slow and amounts to 60 beats/minute. During this period of time, his lungs pass only three liters of air, which inevitably affects the breathing cycle, which lasts 7.5 seconds, despite the fact that there is a four-second pause between inhalation and exhalation.

Interestingly, it takes 2 seconds to inhale, during which the heart rate reaches 90 beats per minute. If we talk about exhalation with a breath hold, which accounts for the remaining 5.5 seconds, then during this period of time the pulse drops to 60, that is, one and a half times.

These figures, difficult for the uninitiated to perceive, are given for a reason. It turns out that the greater the difference between the pulse rate during inhalation and exhalation, the stronger the lungs and heart, the better the autonomic system works, and the healthier a person feels. In general understanding, the state of our health and appearance at a given age depend on the correct change in heart rate. It is for this reason that people who have been passionately involved in sports throughout their lives, even in old age, look strong and fit, and much younger than their age. It's all thanks to breathing!

What benefit can be derived from all that has been written? To stay healthy and look 55 at 70, you need to exercise regularly. If you do not have this opportunity, breathing exercises will help you.

The benefits of breathing exercises

Practice shows that the technique of correct inhalations and exhalations leads to the following positive changes in the body:

  • lung volume increases;
  • gas exchange increases;
  • blood and heart cells are better supplied with oxygen;
  • coronary and cerebral vessels dilate;
  • heart rate is regulated;
  • the movement of the diaphragm is improved and the lungs are massaged;
  • the heart is freed from excess pressure from the diaphragm and lungs;
  • blood flow to the heart improves;
  • the nervous system calms down;
  • stress is relieved;
  • the cardiovascular system and, in particular, the myocardium are trained.


I. Breathing exercises for the heart

Now we will describe in detail a set of breathing exercises that will strengthen the heart and rejuvenate your body, preventing early aging.

1. Stand up straight, legs slightly apart, and keeping your back straight. Alternatively, to perform the exercise, you can sit on a chair with a backrest. Move your right hand to the side. With your left hand, pinch your left nostril, blocking the flow of air through it. Using your right nostril, slowly draw air into your lungs, and at the same time move your right hand towards your nose so that, as soon as you take a full breath, immediately close the nostril with your right hand. Next, move your left hand to the side, starting to exhale slowly through your left nostril. In this case, compare the duration of one breathing cycle with the heart rate, gradually increasing the periods of inhalation and exhalation starting from four to sixteen heart beats, but only after an even number (ideally after 2). Start the next cycle in the opposite direction, inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right.

For this process, you will need maximum concentration and listening to your own body, and therefore gymnastics should be done in absolute silence and with your eyes closed. In this case, you need to breathe slowly, and your hands should move smoothly, without tension in the muscles. This alternating inhalation and exhalation of air should be repeated until satisfaction appears, which will indicate the energy saturation of the body.

2. Stay in the starting position. Make the exercise more difficult. Inhale slowly through your left nostril, while closing your right nostril. And then, changing hands, exhale quickly and vigorously through the right nostril. Do one breathing cycle, then repeat it in the reverse order (slowly inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling quickly through the left nostril). Here it is very important to ensure that the breathing rhythm does not become disrupted, dizziness and discomfort do not appear. In this case, you should stop performing the element, calm down and start doing it again.

3. We perform this exercise similarly to those described above, only the inhalations and exhalations become fast, like athletes do during training. We take a quick breath through an open nostril, and then change hands and also quickly exhale through the other. We repeat the actions in reverse.

4. Next, we perform the same exercise, but quickly inhale and exhale through one nostril (let it be the left). Having achieved uniform breathing, we move to the other nostril and repeat the steps performed.

5. We take a slow deep breath and exhale in exactly the same way, first through the right nostril, and then repeat the breathing cycle using the left nostril. In this case, the cycle should first correspond to four, then six, eight and finally ten heart beats.

6. Now we move on to breathing through both nostrils simultaneously. Slowly draw in the air, then freeze and count half the inhalation time. After this, also exhale slowly.

7. Slowly drawing in air through both nostrils, also slowly exhale, after which you hold your breath for half the respiratory cycle.

8. Now complicate the element. Take a deep breath, hold your breath, and then slowly exhale and hold your breath again. During your daily training, aim to increase the duration of your cycles.

9. Pursing your lips into a “tube”, forcefully draw in the air, and then exhale in the same way, remembering to monitor your heartbeat.

10. Take a lying position and alternate deep upward and downward breathing. In this case, inhalation, breath-holding and exhalation must be distributed over 8, 14, and 12 heart beats, maintaining such breathing for ten minutes.

II. Breathing exercises for brain vessels

And here is a complex of breathing exercises for people who need to strengthen the blood vessels of the brain. However, here doctors recommend being careful and immediately stopping the exercises if dizziness or headache occurs.

1. Sit on a chair with a back, straighten your shoulders and lift your chin slightly. Place your hands with your palms on your knees and relax.

2. With your mouth slightly open, reach the tip of your tongue to the upper palate.

3. Begin to breathe evenly, trying to pronounce the sound “so” as you inhale without the help of your tongue, and as you exhale, pronounce the sound “hum.”

4. When performing breathing exercises, make sure that air enters the lungs evenly through both the mouth and the nose.

To train the blood vessels of the brain, you will need to perform this exercise daily, preferably in the morning and evening, devoting 10-15 minutes to it.

III. Breathing exercises for the vegetative-vascular system

Here you should initially understand that breathing exercises alone will not be able to get rid of vegetative-vascular dystonia. However, in combination with other methods of treating this disease, breathing exercises can significantly improve your well-being.

1. To move on to gymnastics that trains the vegetative-vascular system, initially perform the first element of breathing exercises to strengthen the heart. Pinch one nostril and inhale slowly, then switch hands and exhale through the other nostril. When the basic element is repeated several times in one direction and the other, you can move on to the gymnastics we need.

2. Place your right hand, palm on your stomach, and your left hand on your chest.

3. Begin to inhale and exhale air evenly through your nose, with each inhalation trying to draw your stomach in as much as possible, and when exhaling, stick it out as if you were pushing out the air.

4. Continue breathing through your nose, but now keep your stomach motionless. The chest should work exclusively: inflate as you inhale, and contract as you exhale.

Spend 5 to 10 minutes on each breathing method, making sure that the exercise does not cause you discomfort or unpleasant symptoms. The main criterion for performing the exercise correctly will be the feeling of satisfaction from the state in which you are.

IV. Breathing exercises after bypass surgery

People who have had heart bypass surgery need proper recovery, which includes special exercises. Let's consider it.

1. Lie down on a hard surface with one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

2. Suck air through your nose for three seconds while inflating your belly. You should feel your hand rising along with your stomach. After this, exhale slowly through your mouth for 4-5 seconds.

3. Hold your breath for three seconds and then repeat the exercise.

After breathing exercises, proceed to physical exercises. While standing straight, begin to move your arms back, inhaling as you do so, and then bend your torso while exhaling. Repeat 7-10 times.

By the way, it is recommended to perform this exercise 1-2 times a day, half an hour before meals or an hour and a half after meals. And further. For some patients, doctors recommend inflating balloons every day. This will also become a kind of gymnastics for the heart and blood vessels.
Take care of your health!

Breathing exercises or a few words about breathing.

Something as simple as conscious, intense breathing can greatly help rid the body of waste products and toxins. Most people only use less than half their breathing potential. Consequently, we remove only half of the waste products from our body and consume only half of the amount of oxygen that we can utilize. By paying a little more attention to the breathing process, we can bring a lot of benefits to our body, fully providing nutrition and oxygen to all its cells. And as a result, we gain elastic young skin, a lot of energy, a sea of ​​​​calmness and a sober mind.

Breathing exercise technique

Some breathing exercises

There are two very effective execution techniques breathing exercises. Here is one of them, called “repeated breathing”: inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. This is one cycle. Repeat: inhale for 4 counts, pause for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. Do 10 cycles of this breathing exercise.

Set yourself a goal - to perform 10 cycles of these breathing exercises three times a day, preferably outdoors, and best of all - in nature. Once you have mastered the technique of rebreathing, you can combine it with aerobic exercise, such as walking, and you can also include it at the end of your workout in the pool.

When the technique of the “repeated breathing” breathing cycle - 4-4-4 is completely mastered by you, you can further increase the potential of your respiratory system by mastering the 4-4-8 cycle (inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath for 4 counts, exhale - for 8 accounts). And then you can move on and master the 4-8-12 cycle (inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath for 8 counts, exhale for 12 counts).

Another breathing technique that you should master and include in your physical exercises comes from yogic gymnastics and is called “cleansing breathing.” The technique for performing this breathing exercise is similar to the previous one, but here an accentuated forced exhalation is added. You inhale deeply through your nose, and then exhale noisily in small portions through closed lips. The main task of this method of breathing is to exhale as completely as possible, and then the respiratory movements of the abdominal press will stimulate a more complete removal of metabolic products from the body.

If you master the “cleansing breathing” exercise technique, you will significantly improve the potential of your respiratory system and strengthen your abdominal muscles, and at the same time you will learn a lot of useful things about the physiology of breathing, in particular the process of exhalation. First, you should try to exhale in 10 small bursts. Then breathe normally for a while and repeat the breathing cycle several times in a row. After some time, you will master exhalation in 12 or more portions. Do this exercise at least twice a day.

Breathing exercises will give you a lot of strength and allow you to relax. In addition to daily breathing exercises, you can do both suggested exercises whenever you feel unwell or in a bad mood. Before you go to bed, you can do a deep breathing exercise to help you relax. Just stand in front of an open window or on a terrace and take a deep breath of the clean night air.

When practicing breathing exercises, you should keep some important points in mind. Never overexert yourself or forcefully hold your breath. For the first exercise, start with just a few counts, and then, as your lung capacity increases, gradually increase the time you inhale, hold your breath, and exhale. At first, do only those exercises that are easy. Like stretching exercises, there is no visible goal to work towards; just do the exercise naturally and freely. Never go beyond your own limits and never push yourself to

Special exercises for the treatment of hypertension and arrhythmia

Breathing exercises are an excellent method of combating high blood pressure and arrhythmia. Correctly selected set of breathing exercises will help calm the nervous system, restore normal functioning of the cardiovascular system, and in some cases will even help in the fight against chronic insomnia.

This treatment will not take much of your time. For all 3 therapeutic exercises you will need no more than 5-10 minutes a day.

I just want to warn those readers who expect instant miracles from classes: not all at once! You must understand that you are unlikely to be able to cure advanced arrhythmia or hypertension in a few days using breathing exercises alone.
It will take time and some diligence - these exercises are good at reducing high blood pressure and restoring heart rhythm only with regular exercise.

Observation of Dr. Evdokimenko.
At first, my patients are only able to reduce their blood pressure by 10 to 20 units (mmHg) per session with these exercises. But after two to three weeks of training, the results become better. Many of my patients manage to reduce blood pressure by 30-40 units in one approach.
In general, if you are patient and do these exercises every day, your nervous system will become much more stable, your blood pressure will stabilize and stop jumping. Pressure fluctuations up and down will be much weaker. The heart rhythm also gradually stabilizes.

To achieve the desired result, you need to make special Breath holding exercises while exhaling. Below is their detailed description.

Video: Breathing exercises for blood pressure and arrhythmia

Breathing Exercise #1: Deep Abdominal Breathing

It can be performed at any time - morning, afternoon or evening. But not earlier than 2 hours after eating!

Benefits of this exercise: after it, breathing normalizes and the nervous system calms down. The diaphragm is trained. The intestines, liver and pancreas are stimulated. Constipation is eliminated. The ribs straighten and the vital capacity of the lungs increases.

Performing the exercise:

Performed sitting or standing. Back straight! The palms of the hands lie on the stomach (for control), but do not put pressure on the stomach.

Take (strictly through the nose!) a very slow, deep breath in with your stomach - that is, stick out your stomach as you inhale. Having filled your stomach with air, “pre-inhale” the air into your chest, straighten it - that is, move your chest slightly forward and up.
If you can, enhance the exercise with shoulder blade retraction—that is, pull your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

After this, begin to exhale slowly (strictly through the nose!). First, exhale the air from your stomach - “deflate your stomach”, draw it in.

Then continue exhaling, blowing air out of your lungs - tilt your head down slightly and lean your shoulders forward to “squeeze” out the maximum amount of air remaining in them from your lungs.

After exhaling completely, hold your breath for about 5-10 seconds as you exhale. Then rest - breathe normally for about a minute.

Then repeat the exercise. Do it (with minute breaks) 3 times - but no more!

Important: When performing an exercise, learn to perform it smoothly and without breaks - when inhaling, immediately after filling the abdomen with air, there should be a smooth transition of the respiratory movement to the chest (that is, filling the lungs with air).

When exhaling, the same thing happens - immediately after squeezing air out of the abdomen, there should be a smooth transition to squeezing air out of the lungs (compression of the chest).

At first it will be difficult for you to make such smooth transitions from the abdomen to the chest, but after a few days you will learn to perform this entire movement “without a hitch” and will do it automatically.

By the way, abdominal breathing (belly breathing) is very easy for men - since men initially breathe through their abdominal muscles.
But women will have to suffer at first, since women naturally have a chest type of breathing. And it usually takes women from three days to 2 weeks to engage the abdominal muscles in the respiratory movement. Don’t worry, dear ladies - it will be much easier for you later, you will learn to perform this exercise no worse than men!

Keep in mind that you will feel dizzy for the first few days after doing the exercise - this is normal. This effect from performing abdominal breathing will soon disappear. And in a week or two you will stop experiencing dizziness.

Strengthened version of exercise No. 1: About a week after the start of classes, when you learn how to correctly and smoothly perform deep abdominal breathing, you can try to do the same exercise in an enhanced version: immediately before performing the exercise, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. And then do everything as you did before in exercise No. 1, but with your tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth.

After this, compare the result of the enhanced version of the exercise with its original version: check your blood pressure and heart rate, listen to your sensations and evaluate your well-being.

After weighing all this, choose which of the two options suits you best - simple breathing exercise No. 1, or the option with the tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth.

Breathing Exercise No. 2: Slowing Your Exhalation

About 10 days after the start of classes, add an exercise to slow down the exhalation to deep abdominal breathing.

Benefits of the exercise: the same as from the first exercise. But there are also special bonuses. By slowing down the exhalation, blood pressure is better stabilized. The heart is trained. Blood supply to the brain improves. The nervous system calms down faster.

Performance:

The exercise is performed almost the same as the first, but with three differences:

The first difference is that when you take a full deep breath, do not hold your breath, but immediately begin to exhale.
Second. Try to slow down your exhalation - try to make the exhalation about 2 times longer than the inhalation.
Third. After completing the exercise (that is, after the end of exhalation), do not pause for a minute for breathing rest, but immediately repeat the exercise again. Once again. That is, a total of 3 times.

Breathing Exercise No. 3: Slowing Your Breath as You Exhale

After another week, you can add a breath-holding exercise to the first two exercises.

Benefits of the exercise: enhances the effect of the first two exercises.

Performance:

The exercise is performed almost the same as exercise No. 1. Take (strictly through the nose!) a very slow, deep breath in with your stomach - that is, sticking out your stomach as you inhale.

Having filled your stomach with air, “pre-inhale” the air into your chest - straighten your chest (that is, move your chest slightly forward and up). Strengthen the exercise by bringing your shoulder blades together - move your shoulders back and bring your shoulder blades together.

Now, inhaling as deeply as you can, hold your breath for 5-7 seconds.

After this, begin to exhale slowly (strictly through the nose!). First, exhale the air from your stomach - “deflate your stomach”, draw it in. Then continue exhaling, blowing the air out of your lungs - tilt your head down slightly and slightly lean your shoulders forward to “squeeze” the remaining air out of your lungs.

Now attention! This is where the difference from the first exercise begins.

After exhaling, when you have removed almost all the air from your lungs, lower your chin to your chest and hold your breath (as you exhale). Don't breathe as much as you can. Ideally, at least 20-30 seconds. But no longer than 40 seconds.
Then give yourself a rest - breathe normally for about a minute. Then repeat the exercise again. Do not repeat the exercise a third time - two approaches are enough.

It is important! If you have hypertension, be sure to measure your blood pressure after performing breathing exercises! But not immediately, but after 10-15 minutes.
Monitor how your blood pressure responds to breathing exercises. For most people, their blood pressure normalizes - normal blood pressure remains the same, but high blood pressure gradually decreases to normal.

However, a small percentage of people (about 10%) have an abnormal reaction to these breathing exercises - on the contrary, the pressure increases. If you are in this 10%, do not tempt fate, do not expect the result to appear later, and stop training immediately.

There is nothing wrong with this - one method of treating hypertension did not work, another will do. Go back to the chapters on treating hypertension and find some other way to deal with high blood pressure.

By performing these simple breathing exercises, you will radically improve, in addition to the functioning of your lungs, the health of your entire body as a whole. People suffering from chronic diseases that are directly related to the cardiovascular system should not perform lung exercises, although your doctor can make a final prohibition, so be sure to consult with him.

During classes, you need to control your pulse and if it increases greatly, it means that this complex is categorically not suitable for you, so classes should be stopped immediately. The pulse after exercise should be deep and well-filled, and not increase in frequency. After gymnastics, you need to regularly measure your blood pressure, which may increase slightly, but should not reach dangerous values. The intensity of exercise should be increased gradually so that the body can adapt.

Breathing warm-up

  1. Relax and stand straight, arms should be lowered along the body.
  2. Exhale and then begin to take a slow, deep breath. As your lungs fill with air, your shoulders begin to rise. Then a sharp exhalation is made, and the shoulders drop accordingly.
  3. The next time you inhale, as your lungs fill, your shoulders slowly move back, your shoulder blades come together, your hands come closer together behind your back. Then you need to slowly exhale, while your arms and shoulders move forward and your chest contracts. Shoulders and arms should be relaxed.
  4. With a deep breath, we bend to the right, the chest on the left stretches accordingly. With exhalation we return to the original position. We make the same tilt to the left. When performing this exercise, you need to keep your back straight and not bend your neck and arms.
  5. As you inhale, slowly tilt your head back, while the spine bends strictly in the thoracic region. As you exhale, tilt your head forward so that you can see your knees; the spine also bends in the thoracic region. And the arms hang freely along the body.
  6. We take a deep breath and, with a leisurely exhalation, gently twist the spine clockwise, while the right arm moves behind the back, and the left goes forward. We inhale and return to the original position. We do the same thing, but counterclockwise. We make sure that the hips remain motionless.
  7. First, we alternately make circular movements with our right and left shoulders, similar to those made by kayak rowers. Then we make rotational movements with both shoulders simultaneously. Breathing is voluntary.

Breathing exercises should be performed for 6-10 minutes. After completing it, you should relax and unwind. After rest, you can begin to do breathing exercises for the lungs from the complex below.

Basic breathing exercises that develop the chest, various groups of its muscles and ligaments

These classes are quite simple, but incredibly effective. You should not try to master many exercises at once. As experience and practice show, the breathing exercises provided below develop the muscles and ligaments of the chest, the air cells of the lungs, etc. Of all the breathing exercises, “cleansing breathing” is considered the main one. It is used when the need is felt to cleanse and ventilate the lungs, it is usually used at the end of many other exercises for developing the lungs, and it is used constantly.

Cleansing Breath

This exercise not only ventilates and cleanses your lungs, it improves the health of the entire body, stimulating all its cells and refreshing it. The exercise is very useful for people whose profession requires a lot of strain on the lungs: singers, actors, musicians playing wind instruments, speakers, teachers, etc. It is performed as follows: first, take a full breath and hold your breath for a few seconds. The lips are compressed as if to whistle, the cheeks do not swell, then exhale a little air with considerable force and stop for a second, then exhale a little more in the same way and continue until all the air is completely exhaled. It is very important to exhale forcefully.

Holding your breath

Develops and strengthens the respiratory muscles, as well as the lungs in general. Constantly doing it will expand the chest. At the same time, temporarily holding your breath helps cleanse the lungs and promotes better absorption of oxygen by the blood. To perform the exercise, you need to stand straight and take a full breath. You should hold your breath in your chest for as long as possible, and then forcefully exhale the air through your open mouth. Next, do cleansing breathing.

Breath-holding can be done with a watch, recording time and noting your ability to increase your gains daily. Gymnastics has a refreshing effect on a tired and weary person; its positive effect can be felt within a short period of time. To quickly get a positive effect, you need to practice carefully.

Excitation of lung cells

Allows you to stimulate the activity of air cells in the lungs. It must be performed with caution and beginners should not overuse it. Many people feel slightly dizzy after doing it. Therefore, you must always be ready to stop doing it. To perform it, you need to stand straight with your arms down along your body. Slowly and gradually inhale air until your lungs are full of air and hold your breath. Then we hit the chest with the palms of our hands and begin to slowly exhale air. At the same time, we “drum” on the chest with our fingertips. We finish the exercise with cleansing breathing.

Joyful upper breathing

This exercise is believed to improve mood. For control, you need to place your hands on your collarbones, then when you inhale, air will fill only the upper parts of the lungs, and the chest will rise up. When you exhale, it returns to its original position. At the same time, the abdomen remains motionless and the chest does not expand.

Calming lower breathing

When you inhale, air fills the lower parts of the lungs and therefore the stomach protrudes; when you exhale, it retracts. The chest remains motionless. In combination with this exercise, medium breathing is performed, which increases the tone of the body. When you inhale, air fills the lungs, and the chest expands, and when you exhale, it returns to its original position. During the exercise, the stomach remains motionless.

To see a positive result from any exercise, you need to do it regularly, and not quit halfway. Perseverance, desire and willpower are the main components of effective success.

Breathing is directly related to the work and state of the nervous system. This is why breathing exercises to calm the nerves are so common and effective. Many of them form the basis of yoga breathing practices. But you don’t need to have special knowledge to learn how to breathe correctly, getting rid of stress and overexertion.

What is breathing like for relaxation?

The basis of any breathing exercises will be a strictly specified rhythm. You need to know that the effect of exercise on the body changes depending on the frequency and speed, depth of breaths, and the duration of periods of holding the breath. Starting to breathe quickly, shallowly, inhaling small doses of oxygen, you will not achieve calm. On the contrary, the nervous system will receive a stimulus to work harder.
Any method of breathing exercises designed to help you calm down is based on deep, measured breathing. With its help, not only the absolute filling of the lungs with air occurs, but also the enrichment of all tissues and cells of the body with oxygen. This helps normalize blood pressure, relieves muscle tension, stimulates proper brain function, and helps the nervous system relax.

The correct rhythm when performing breathing exercises to calm down is achieved by certain intervals of holding the breath both before and after exhalation. It is important to give the body the opportunity to adapt between exercises performed that are different in their techniques and require certain dexterity.


Breathing exercises are divided into four options:
  • filling the upper part of the lungs with oxygen, inhalations are carried out due to the movement of the collarbones;
  • chest breathing when the ribs “open” and “compress”;
  • inhales using the stomach - “abdominal breathing”; Thanks to such inhalations and exhalations, the diaphragm moves, massages the internal organs, and oxygen saturation of the blood increases;
  • wave-like breathing, when all three of these areas are involved.
Based on these options for inhalation and exhalation, additional breathing techniques are built to calm the nerves and strengthen the nervous system.

Rules for performing exercises to calm the nerves


When choosing simple breathing exercises for yourself to calm down, it is worth remembering the basic rules that are involved in any technique. Failure to comply with such rules will lead to the lack of the desired result.

  • Any breathing exercises should be performed either standing or lying down so that the back is absolutely straight.
  • It is better to breathe with your eyes closed, using meditation techniques, imagining pleasant images and landscapes.
  • It is important to fully concentrate on the process of inhalation and exhalation, which at first will need to be consciously controlled. Gradually, conscious control will no longer be necessary, however, the concentration should still be on the breathing process.
  • It is necessary not only to clear your mind of negative thoughts, but also to completely relax all your muscles. Relaxation should flow smoothly from the tips of your toes upward. Particular attention should be paid to the shoulders, neck and face. In these places, the muscles experience significant tension.
  • You need to do exercises to calm your nerves 5-10 times. Don't overexert yourself. Before moving on to the next technique, you should wait some time to allow the body to adapt.
  • As you inhale, you need to imagine how your whole body, along with oxygen, is filled with new, pure energy and calm. As you exhale, you need to “push out” the tension that has accumulated inside you.
  • In some cases, it would be useful to repeat to yourself during breathing exercises the following attitudes: “I am calm,” “I am calming down,” “I am relaxing,” “I am calm,” and so on. The particle “not” and a generally negative context should be avoided in formulations, as well as the future tense, for example, “I’m not worried,” “I’ll calm down soon.”

Simple breathing exercises

The first set of techniques is based on breathing through the nose. The exercises should begin with a full exhalation.

Complex breathing

  • Belly breathing. When you inhale deeply, the stomach “inflates”, and when you exhale slowly it falls. Inhalation is carried out for 3-4 seconds, then you need to hold your breath for 2 seconds, exhale for 4-5 seconds. The interval between breathing is 2-3 seconds.
  • Breathing through the chest. As you inhale, the ribs “open”; as you exhale, they “compress.” The execution time is the same as in the first stage.
  • Breathing with the collarbones. When you inhale, the collarbones rise, and when you exhale, they lower. The intervals and execution times are the same.
  • Wave-like breathing. Inhalation comes from bottom to top: stomach, chest, collarbones. Exhale - from top to bottom: collarbones, chest, stomach. The final stage should be performed especially measuredly.

Breathing to activate the cerebral hemispheres

The technique is performed by alternately pinching the nostrils. Only the right hand is used. The thumb is applied to the right nostril, the little finger to the left. Calm inhalations and full exhalations are performed alternately on one and the other side of the nose. When the right nostril is pinched, the left hemisphere is stimulated; when the left nostril is pinched, the right hemisphere is stimulated.

"Sleepy" breathing

It allows you not only to relax, but also to overcome insomnia.


The technique of performing the exercise to calm the nerves is very simple: unhurried, light inhalations and exhalations are performed for 5 minutes, concentrating on the breathing process, listening to internal sensations. For greater effectiveness of this exercise, you should place your palms in the solar plexus area. You need to breathe with both your stomach and chest.

To relieve stress

It is necessary to take a short, relatively deep breath. Then hold your breath for 4 seconds and exhale completely, deeply and long. This is followed by a 5-second break before filling the lungs with oxygen again.

Relaxing and mind-clearing breathing

This breathing exercise technique again uses the arms. You need to place one palm on your forehead and the other on the back of your head. This position will help increase blood flow in these lobes of the head, helping to clear the consciousness and mind from anxiety, tension, opening up new solutions during times of stress. Without removing your palms, take measured inhalations and exhalations with a short breath-hold between them.



The second complex is based on inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. It is also necessary to start with a full exhalation.


First exercise

After taking a full breath, you need to exhale forcefully and deeply through tightly compressed lips. In this case, the exhalation is done in portions, the air is “pushed out” from the inside.

Exercise two

Here you will need to induce an “artificial” yawn.

Opening your mouth as wide as possible so that you feel tension in the lower jaw, you should take a smooth breath, feeling your lungs filling with air. Hold your breath for 2 seconds, and then exhale measuredly and slowly.

Third exercise

Taking a full breath, without holding your breath, the air is released through the open mouth. In this case, the lips are folded into a circle. Exhalation is done in portions, in jerks. The initial stage of exhalation is the longest; gradually the air leaving the lungs should become less and less. After completion, you should wait 5-10 seconds and repeat the breathing exercise again.

The videos below clearly show two additional and effective exercises that will help get rid of negative emotions and nervous tension: