Last Updated: July 2025
Why Breathing Deserves More Attention Than It Gets
You breathe over 20,000 times a day, without even thinking about it. But how you breathe plays a bigger role in your health than you might realize.
If you’re like most, you default to shallow, chest-based breathing. Over time, this poor breathing habit can quietly chip away at your health. It raises stress levels. Tightens muscles. Slows digestion. And weakens your immune system.
Fitness routines talk a lot about movement, nutrition, and recovery. But hardly anyone talks about how you breathe.
And yet—breathing affects all of it. When done correctly, it’s one of the most powerful tools in your health toolkit.
How?
With a simple shift, you can retrain your body to breathe the way it was designed to—with slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing. You can calm your nervous system, support immune function, and improve how you feel in your body every day.
Ever heard a yoga or meditation instructor say “breathe through your belly” or “inhale through your nose”? If so, you’ve already been introduced to it. And it’s not just relaxation fluff. It’s rooted in science.
Let’s dive deeper—and most importantly, show you how easy it is to make diaphragmatic breathing part of your daily routine.
Two Types of Breathing
You breathe in one of two ways: diaphragmatic or shallow.
How you breathe matters, including how the air enters your body (nose vs. mouth).
Let’s explore both.
Diaphragmatic vs. Shallow
(How We Breathe)
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing)
This is how your body is designed to breathe. It uses the diaphragm, a large muscle under your lungs, to draw air deep into the body. As the diaphragm contracts, your belly expands outward (not your chest), giving your organs a gentle massage and encouraging full oxygen exchange.
Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing:
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your body’s “rest and digest” state)
- Supports healthy digestion, metabolism, and circulation
- Helps regulate stress levels
- Reduces tension in your neck, shoulders, and chest
2. Shallow Breathing (Chest or Neck Breathing)
This type of breathing uses secondary muscles like the neck and shoulders. Your chest lifts, but your lungs don’t fully expand. It’s often a response to chronic stress, poor posture, or fast-paced, sedentary lifestyles.
Downsides of shallow breathing:
- Overworks neck and shoulder muscles
- Limits oxygen intake and lung expansion
- Keeps your nervous system in “fight or flight” mode
- Reduces circulation to your organs and gut
Nose vs. Mouth Breathing
(How Air Enters the Body)
If you’ve ever heard a wellness instructor say, “Breathe in through your nose,” that simple instruction actually has a big impact on your health.
Nasal breathing is the body’s natural way of breathing. It encourages diaphragmatic breathing, filters the air you take in, and helps regulate your nervous system.
Why nasal breathing is better than mouth breathing:
- Your nose filters, warms, and humidifies the air
- Helps your body absorb oxygen more efficiently
- Supports proper diaphragm engagement
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system and helps calm the body
Mouth breathing, on the other hand, tends to be shallow and unfiltered. It bypasses the diaphragm and can keep your nervous system stuck in a heightened state.
For most breathwork and daily breathing, nose breathing is the way to go.
The Stress-Immune Connection
Your breath doesn’t just affect your lungs, it affects your entire system. Especially your digestion and immunity.
When you take shallow breaths, your diaphragm doesn’t move much. That means your digestive organs aren’t getting the gentle compression they rely on for circulation and function. And when digestion suffers, so does your immune system.
In fact, studies show that around 80% of your immune system lives in your gut. That’s why gut health is key to fighting off everything from seasonal illness to long-term inflammation.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Shallow breathing also keeps your nervous system in a stressed, “fight or flight” response. That constant low-level stress can raise inflammation and make it harder for your body to fight off infections.
On the flip side, when you breathe deeply through your diaphragm, especially through your nose, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system—the one responsible for “rest and digest.” This helps your body stay calm, balanced, and resilient.
Bottom line: If you want to reduce stress and support your immune system, diaphragmatic breathing needs to be part of your daily routine.
How to Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing
If you’re new to breathwork, this is the perfect place to start. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing just a few minutes a day can help restore your body’s natural breathing pattern and create lasting change.
Let’s look at the ideal breathing pattern:
About 80% of your breath should come from your belly, and only 20% from your chest and shoulders.
For most people, it’s the opposite—20% belly, 80% chest. That means your diaphragm is underused, and your neck and shoulders are doing most of the work.
The good news? You can retrain your body to breathe better. And it only takes a few minutes a day.
You can use this practice anytime. Before bed, during meditation, or whenever you’re feeling tense or stressed.
Belly Breathing Protocol
As you begin practicing this deep breathing technique, remember the diaphragm is supposed to do most of the work. Focus on slow, controlled breaths.
- Find a comfortable position, either seated or lying on your back.
- Place one hand on your belly (right over your belly button) and the other on your chest.
- Inhale slowly through your nose.
- As you inhale, for the first 80% of the breath, focus on pushing your belly into your hand while keeping your chest as still as possible.
- For the last part of your inhale (approximately 20%), allow your chest and shoulders to rise slightly only for the last part of your inhale.
- As you exhale, gently pull your belly button back toward your spine until there’s no air left to push out.
- Repeat for at least 8 to 10 breaths, or more if it feels good.
The goal is simple: let your diaphragm lead the breath. Stay relaxed. Let your body guide the rhythm.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
Once you’re comfortable with belly breathing, you can take it one step further with the 4-7-8 technique. A simple but powerful breath pattern that helps reduce anxiety, improve focus, and support better sleep.
It’s especially helpful in moments of stress, or as part of your evening wind-down routine.
How to Practice the 4-7-8 Breath
- Find a comfortable position, seated or lying on your back.
- Inhale through your nose for a count of 4 (using your belly).
- Hold your breath for a count of 7.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 8, making a gentle whooshing sound.
- Repeat the cycle at least 3 more times.
This technique is easy to learn, and there are countless free apps with built-in timers to help guide you—especially if counting feels tricky at first.
And if you’re a visual learner, check out this video that walks you through the breathing exercise above.
Final Thoughts: Take the Next Step Toward Better Breathing
Breathwork isn’t just for yogis or meditation pros. It’s one of the most accessible tools you have to reduce stress, support your immune system, and feel more grounded in your body—anytime, anywhere.
Start with just a few minutes a day. Use it when you wake up, before bed, or whenever life feels overwhelming. Over time, these small moments of intentional breathing can create big changes in how you feel and function.
Want to go deeper into the science and practice of breathwork?
Check out Ben Greenfield’s comprehensive guide to breathwork for a more in-depth look at different techniques and the science behind them.
Have questions or want help addressing the physical tension that shallow breathing may be contributing to? We can help.
Dr. Brink is available for in-office and virtual appointments.
Let’s create a movement plan that supports not just how you move, but how you breathe, too.
