Functional breathing is considered effortless, silent and efficient during rest. Your body will appear at ease, without excessive use of accessory breathing muscles. You will have good heart rate variability (HRV), meaning that your nervous system is balanced and you handle and recover from internal and external stressors well. You handle increased cardiovascular demands with ease, you sleep well and you can hold your breath 30 seconds without difficulty.
Dysfunctional breathing can present itself in different ways. You may develop non-optimal traits through injury, chronic stress, poor posture, poor diet, illness, etc. Below are some traits of dysfunctional breathing:
- Snoring
- Frequent sighing or yawning
- Shortness of breath with exercise
- Audible breathing during rest
- Fast breathing
- Breathing through the mouth
Learning how to breathe efficiently, effectively and with ease requires understanding the traits of dysfunctional breathing, and learning or re-learning how to breathe in a way that minimizes poor patterns.
Since breathing is something you do all day, every day, it’s easy to see how poor habits and patterns could develop and perpetuate without realizing it. Breath control has been an art and science for hundreds of years. It is only now getting the recognition and attention it deserves as the gateway to optimal health.