A friend of mine is waking up in the middle of the night from lack of oxygen, and finds himself gasping for breath. He is in his forties and has never suffered from asthma, a chronic (long-term) condition that is affected by airways to the lungs. In an attempt to help him I suggested deep breathing exercises. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve personally benefited greatly by practicing deep breathing!
Deep breathing not only opens up the airways to the lungs and improves the ability to inhale oxygen, but it does much more. In fact, if it is done every day then massive benefits are for the taking. Deep breathing helps mind-power, positivism, and oxygenation whilst reducing blood pressure, improving circulation by opening up the arteries, and it even increases nitric oxide distribution which all contribute to a better output. Since discovering deep breathing and practicing it I can attest to these gains.
In this day and age (nowadays), especially living in a busy city the quality of air according to my research has deteriorated while the stress of modern living has put increased pressure and strain on people in general, and therefore, it isn’t uncommon that some people feel tightness in their chest and consequently huff and puff for breath. You can huff and puff from shortness of breath. Huffing and puffing usually means the body is struggling to get oxygen to the muscles.
Pollution is linked to three main human activities: fossil-fuel combustion, primarily by industry and transport; the application of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture; and the growing use and complexity of chemicals. With this in mind we owe it to ourselves to stand out by treating our bodies like temples. Deep breathing then is more than just a way to boost our lungs. It is a way to bumper up our overall health.
I don’t know about you, but imagine you are like me and want to improve your results. Take it from me that this subject is bigger than you think as my quote of the day is, “Life is about choices, ones that enhance the bigger picture!”
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Mind-power (n) = is the combination of one's attention, thoughts, way of thinking, and mental images. Thoughts are transformed as energy so when you think about positive thoughts, it will stimulate your body to be energized and healthy, too.
huff and puff = breathe heavily with exhaustion. It means to breathe in a loud and heavy way because of physical effort. “He was huffing and puffing after climbing to the top of the stairs.” As well it can be used to show one is annoyed or angry. “She'll huff and puff for a while, but she'll calm down later.” You also huff and puff from shortness of breath.
Treat your body like a Temple (n) = As the mind and the body work together, the body needs to be a good support system for the mind and the spirit. By taking good care of it, the body can take us wherever we want to go, with the power and the strength and energy and vitality we will need to get there.
Bumper up (phrasal verb) = the word bumper means a horizontal bar fixed across the front or back of a motor vehicle to reduce damage in a collision or as a trim. If the proposition UP is added then this phrasal verb means to increase/improve. 1. “His alcoholic beverage was bumpered up with an extra shot of vodka.” i.e., making the drink stronger. 2. “You can bumper up your results by taking on more sales staff.” A bumper year is more successful year.