The importance of maintaining breathing posture and strength
Many of the exercises that I provide my Brainfit clients are focused on postural strength. This is not only because postural strength is important for falls prevention and protecting our lower backs fro injury, but also because upper body postural strength is very important for maintaining the strength for breathing and coughing.
The following exercises are designed to enable Brainfit participants to maintain thoracic postural strength, whilst also learning the physiological benefits of completing breathing exercises for brain heath and heart health.
If you are like most exercisers, you breathe through your mouth, especially as the intensity of the exercise mounts. But experts are learning that breathing through the mouth may not be as efficient or effective as breathing through the nose.
The nose is built with a specific purpose: to support our respiratory system (the primary purpose of the mouth, on the other hand, is to start the digestive process). The nostrils, hair and nasal passageways are designed to assist in filtering allergens and foreign bodies from entering the lungs. The nose also adds moisture and warmth to inhaled air for smoother entry to the lungs.
Breathing Exercises and Nitrous Oxide
Nitric oxide is produced inside the nasal cavity and the lining of the thousands of miles of blood vessels throughout the body.
How does nitric oxide affect the heart and blood vessels?Released by the inner layer of cells (endothelium) of blood vessels, nitric oxide relaxes the vessels and keeps them flexible, allowing them to dilate, boosting blood flow, and helping to control blood pressure. Nitric oxide also has anti-inflammatory effects and helps prevent platelets and white blood cells from adhering to the lining of blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of plaque development. As we age, our cells produce less nitric oxide, so blood vessels become less flexible,which contributes to hypertension, inflammation in blood vessels, and atherosclerosis (plaque buildup)—that is, cardiovascular disease. And there’s a vicious cycle: increasing blood pressure, inflammation, and atherosclerosis, in turn,impair the production and action of nitric oxide.
Recent lab research also suggests that nitric oxide is involved in the respiratory cycle by helping red blood cells to release the oxygen they carry to the body’s tissues.
How does nitric oxide affect the heart and blood vessels?Released by the inner layer of cells (endothelium) of blood vessels, nitric oxide relaxes the vessels and keeps them flexible, allowing them to dilate, boosting blood flow, and helping to control blood pressure. Nitric oxide also has anti-inflammatory effects and helps prevent platelets and white blood cells from adhering to the lining of blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of plaque development. As we age, our cells produce less nitric oxide, so blood vessels become less flexible,which contributes to hypertension, inflammation in blood vessels, and atherosclerosis (plaque buildup)—that is, cardiovascular disease. And there’s a vicious cycle: increasing blood pressure, inflammation, and atherosclerosis, in turn,impair the production and action of nitric oxide.
Recent lab research also suggests that nitric oxide is involved in the respiratory cycle by helping red blood cells to release the oxygen they carry to the body’s tissues.
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Breathing Videos
Nasal Nitric Oxide- The Oxygen Advantage Patrick McKeown
