Originally published on Blackdoctor.org
Breathing is an involuntary process and we don’t need any extra effort in order to breathe, but in reality, breathing simply is not enough in itself to sustain a healthy life; breathing correctly is vital to living longer, stay in a happy mood and keep away illnesses.
Different types of breathing can have great effects on the body such as relieving tension, detoxifying the body, and even helping you lose weight. Yes, you can actually lose weight and inches around your belly, just by breathing!
Here are a few breathing exercises that help flatten your tummy:
1. Stomach Vacuum breathing
This breathing exercise makes you exhale all the air out of your lungs. It also helps you suck in your tummy to the maximum. This will help you to bring out your abs hidden under the layers of fat.
You need to start the exercise by placing your knees and hands on the ground. Your back should stay curved in order to help build the vacuum. Exhale completely and suck your belly in. Expand your lungs, like you are breathing, but the air shouldn’t enter into it. You should pull in your stomach so that it touches your spine (not literally, to the maximum extent). Hold this position for 10 seconds. Release your breath slowly and repeat the same method 10 times every day, to notice the best results.
2. Open Mouth breathing
Breathing with your mouth pressurizes the abdominal muscles, giving you a relaxed and refreshing experience, and is a simple exercise to lose belly fat. In addition, it is also one of the functional face exercises for cheeks and chin toning. You can sit or stand or even lie down for this exercise. Open your mouth and breathe evenly and slowly through your mouth. Inhale as you count silently up to 10. Your exhalation should take a longer time. So if you inhale for 2 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds. Do not force yourself too much; try to do as much as you can. Continue this three times, every day. If you are unable to inhale and exhale for a few seconds, you may be breathing fast. If you are standing, practice this exercise while sitting down.
3. Kneel Down breathing
This exercise will burn your calories rapidly and emphasizes your abdomen; that makes it the perfect exercise to lose belly fat fast. Place a pillow on the ground and kneel down on it. This is to avoid any kind of injuries that may be caused to your knees. Sit back on your legs as you kneel. Relax your mind and close your eyes. Count to 10 and then begin to breathe. Exhale and count to 5, your stomach will feel empty. Hold this position for 2 seconds and then inhale. Repeat the same procedure 10 times every day.
4. Flying Stomach Lock
The flying stomach lock, also called uddiyana bandha, is an advanced technique and one of the most functional ways to lose belly fat fast. But it can be practiced by experienced students of pranayama. Start off in a seated position; pull your stomach in completely.
You should be able to feel a hollow in this area. Continue to exhale in the same position and move your chin toward your chest. Hold this position for 15 seconds and relax with normal breathing for a few minutes. This helps to reduce the fat near your stomach and greatly improves your digestion and metabolism.
5. Deep breathing
A bit of practice before implementing breathing into your exercises helps you become aware of your abdominal muscles. Practice deep breathing by sitting or lying in a comfortable position. Place your hands on your belly while you inhale through your nose. Notice your belly lifting and filling with air, much like inflating a balloon. Continue to pull the air in until you can’t inhale anymore. Pause briefly, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Instead of forcing the air out, allow it to slowly release while pulling your belly button toward your spine to expel all of the air. Increase the effectiveness of each ab exercise by visualizing your abdominal muscles tightening and releasing with each breath.
6. Suck & Stuck breathing
Start by sitting on the floor, legs crossed. Close your eye.
Take a slow, deep breath, drawing all the way down to the point below your belly button. Take note of whether your shoulder blades are drawing up toward your ears! This is one of the most common signs of spinal misalignment.
Notice the areas in your upper lungs, spine, and ribcage where you might ache or ‘stick.’
Notice whether your diaphragm is having any trouble drawing breath down and into your lungs. Stress will prevent you from breathing as deeply as possible, contributing to your maligned spine and sticky spots.
Release the breath slow and long. Imagine tension and stress leaving your body on the exhale.
Suck in another slow and deep breath, imagining it pouring down your spinal column, touching each and every one of your vertebrae, all the way down to your sacrum.
Notice again how there may be ‘stuck’ spots along the spine where you are out of alignment. Rather than resisting or cringing, try to breathe into and through these tiny pains and hitches.
Release the ‘stuck’ energy via the breath.
Repeat this awareness-building breath until you’ve moved through all of your stuck spots. You may notice that you’re clenching your jaw in response to releasing another place in your body. This is great! If you notice this, you will have revealed to yourself where some of your energy is misplaced and out of balance. You are in the act of breathing through your stress and pain into better posture!
Continue breathing in this manner, making note of all ‘stuck’ spots and focusing on releasing and breathing through them, for a minimum of five minutes each day.
7. Shining the Skull breathing
This is undoubtedly the best exercise for losing belly fat that also strengthens the muscles in the stomach and relieves respiratory problems, colds, eyestrain, and other allergies. You need to sit in a comfortable position and inhale completely. Hold your stomach muscles in completely, while you exhale. Repeat the same for 30 seconds and come back to normal breathing for 3 seconds. Repeat the same breathing exercise three times.
