In theory, losing weight should be a simple matter of burning more calories than you consume. This is why when most people try and lose weight they focus on some combination of diet (to restrict the calories consumed) and exercise (to increase the amount of calories burned). However, there is a third factor that most people are not aware of, and this is how they breathe. Deep breathing, done properly, can increase your metabolism at all times of the day, no matter what you are doing. This increases the amount of calories you burn and can significantly help you in your weight loss goals.
How can deep breathing increase your metabolism and help you lose weight? Well, what people called metabolism is simply the process by which your body converts food into energy. This process is not dissimilar to a car engine. In order for the engine to create the energy to move the car, it needs fuel in the form of gas to be mixed with oxygen. When a spark is applied an explosion of energy is created which moves the car forward. In the human body the food we digest is turned into fuel in the form of carbohydrates. This fuel is then carried to the lungs by the blood where it is mixed with oxygen. Although there is no explosion as in the car example (Biological systems burn their fuel and a much lower rate than cars), this is how the human body creates energy.
It is this transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the blood that is so critical. If this transfer is not being performed efficiently, it is impossible for the body to burn its carbohydrates. Unused carbohydrates are then stored by the body as fat. In addition, you will probably feel sluggish, as your body will not be able to generate the energy that it needs. Again, it's not dissimilar to the car engine. How well will your car run if it is not getting oxygen properly? Your body is the same way.
In order to maximize this energy creation process in the human body, it is critical to breathe deeply from the abdomen, filling the bottom of the lungs. The reason for this is that the lungs are at their most expansive at the bottom. Further, due to gravity, the blood pools around the bottom of the lungs, not at the top. Most people form the poor habit of shallow breathing, breathing with their chests so that new air is only brought into the upper lungs. This obviously limits the amount of oxygen available to be transferred (due to the smaller size at the top of the lungs), as well as the amount that can be transferred (due to the blood restriction). Breathing deeply, from the abdomen, is the only way to correct this.
In today's modern western society, the critical importance of deep breathing has largely been lost. I'm not entirely sure why this is, but the stress appears to be largely on looking strong and healthy, as opposed to really being strong and healthy. It was not always this way. At the turn of the last century, fitness pioneers like J.P. Muller and Paul Von Boeckmann all stressed the importance of deep breathing techniques for increased physical health. Regardless, if you want to lose weight and be truly healthy, focusing on your breathe is a great place to start.
David Nordmark has long had an interest in natural fitness and health techniques. He runs the website http://www.animal-kingdom-workouts.com/
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