Can You 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.
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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