We will not stop breathing as long as we live. But seldom do we see articles informing us how to breathe properly, and in time life has made a lot of us forget the proper way of breathing. During pregnancy, new mums find a slight difficulty in breathing mostly due to the changes happening in their bodies. Some mums even develop a habit of permanently doing shallow breaths and then having difficulty performing any weight loss exercise afterwards.
This article will talk a lot about breathing because, trivial as it may seem, the right breathing patterns are necessary if you are to exercise and lose baby weight. Regardless of the weight loss programs that you choose, breathing properly is the only way to sustain energy to enable your body to perform the various weight loss activities it needs.
A Simple Exercise With Your Bub
Here’s a simple exercise that you can try with your bub while breastfeeding or whenever you find him/her calm or sleeping. Gently touch your little one’s stomach, then move on to your bub’s ribs. Notice the expansion and contraction of your bubs ribs. This natural expansion and contraction is known as diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing, or deep breathing. Your baby would be breathing perfectly as she/he has not yet developed any bad breathing habits. Learning from your little angel is key to proper breathing. To finish this exercise, imitate your baby’s breathing pattern. Expand your ribs and your diaphragm in tune with each other. Connect with your little angel as you continue to unlearn and relearn what you might have already forgotten.
Take it To The Road
Now it’s time to bring this discovery to your activities targeted to lose weight quickly. Start walking slowly and concentrate on your breath. Count the number of steps per inhale/exhale and try to keep a constant rhythm. Occasionally touch your ribs and check if they are expanding each time you inhale and exhale. As soon as you are comfortable with this rhythm, increase your speed and brisk walk, then eventually take it to a full jog if you are comfortable with it. By doing this constantly you will discover that you can actually draw more energy from your breath to enable you to walk or jog farther distances and speeds. More energy exertion creates a larger demand for oxygen. And by breathing properly, you sustain more oxygen to your body, which in turn gives you more energy to perform various tasks.
Perform these simple exercises at your own pace and time. Tune in for more tips and ideas on how to live a healthier life while you lose your baby weight.
