Welcome to Did You Know, a bite-sized, new column where we aim to make wellness more digestible. On the agenda for today: nose breathing vs. mouth breathing.
Breathing is one of those things that we kinda just trust our bodies to automatically get right, probably because, as an autonomic function, it’s literally in the job description. However, as most of us know, taking control of our breath can have many benefits. Ever wondered why most breathing exercises have you breathe through your nose? We dive in below.
WHAT: Breathing through our noses is generally healthier than breathing through our mouths.
WHY: There are several reasons why nose breathing is so beneficial:
– Filters the air: The tiny hairs inside of the nose act like an air purifier system, helping to filter out debris like allergens and pollutants.
– Humidifies the air: The nose helps moisten and warm up air, which helps the throat and lungs function optimally.
– Increases oxygen absorption and circulation: It produces nitric oxide, which helps the lungs better absorb oxygen and carry it through the body.
– Improves lung capacity: By adding a bit of resistance, nose breathing helps lungs maintain their elasticity and take in more oxygen.
– Helps decrease anxiety: Triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body down and helps with its stress response.
Breathing through our mouths most of the time and while we sleep can actually have some negative effects like dry mouth, bad breath, and even feeling tired during the day. That’s part of why it can be beneficial to train ourselves to breathe through our noses.
HOW: Ready for some intentional breathing? Here are a few of our favorite breathing exercises:
To calm tf down quickly: this simple breathing exercise for anxiety
– For short-term and long-term anxiety relief: box breathing
– For a mind-blowing orgasm: orgasmic breath meditation
– To be in the moment: mindful breath routine
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