How to Breathe Yourself Slim

Want to sleep better, shed pounds and improve your sex life with almost no effort?

It sounds implausible but there’s a very surprising science-backed new way of doing this – by simply breathing less.

We’ve long been told deep breathing is good for us, whether it’s readying yourself before tackling a tricky phone call or taking big gulps after a jog. But now some scientists say we could be breathing too much.

In fact, over-breathing – if you can hear yourself inhale and exhale, or if you regularly sigh, yawn or pant when you are puffed out – could be bad for you.

The Oxygen Advantage: ... McKeown, Patrick Best Price: $20.99 Buy New $78.14 (as of 10:40 UTC - Details) The Oxygen Advantage, a book by breathing specialist Patrick McKeown, claims this could be a factor at the root of various ailments including anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and even obesity.

After suffering with asthma as a child, McKeown investigated the findings of Russian medic Dr Konstantin Buteyko, who pioneered special breathing techniques for astronauts. Following Dr Buteyko’s regimen, McKeown managed to overcome his asthma, going on to work with thousands of patients.

Buteyko Clinic Method ... McKeown, Patrick Best Price: $13.51 Buy New $17.71 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details) McKeown believes that by committing to a few simple exercises every day, you too can enjoy swift improvements in your mental and physical health. Here, he sets out how you can transform your life…

WHY IS OVER-BREATHING BAD FOR YOU?

When we breathe in, oxygen goes into our bloodstream and the body dumps a waste product, carbon dioxide, out of the bloodstream in return. When we exhale, we breathe out this carbon dioxide.

Close Your Mouth: Bute... Patrick McKeown Best Price: $6.16 Buy New $7.62 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details) We assume that our bodies know reflexively how much air we need, but this is not always the case.

In the same way, you often don’t feel thirsty even if your body is dehydrated. The messages in our brains become confused and when we find ourselves gasping for air, there is every probability that what our body really needs is to stop exhaling too much carbon dioxide. This is because carbon dioxide plays a vital role in determining how much oxygen goes into the bloodstream.

It is a ‘facilitator’ that loosens the bonds between our blood cells and the oxygen they carry, allowing the oxygen molecules to be released so they reach the muscles and organs.

Sleep with Buteyko: St... McKeown, Patrick G. Best Price: $8.87 Buy New $9.51 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details) So if you’re tired and your brain and body aren’t functioning properly, you might think you need oxygen but there’s every chance you need carbon dioxide to release the oxygen you already have, so your brain and body can function effectively.

In other words, you need to stop gasping and breathe more calmly.

Our breathing rate is determined by highly sensitive receptors in the brain. When they detect levels of carbon dioxide getting high, they trigger the urge to breathe to get rid of the excess gas – but leaving enough behind to ensure that oxygen in the blood is doing the right thing.

But if you have a tendency to over-breathe (if you snore at night, or get into the habit of breathing through your mouth during the day), your carbon dioxide receptors can swiftly become oversensitive.

Their tolerance is lowered, triggering frequent urges to sigh, breathe deeply or gasp for air that your body doesn’t really need.

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