Introduction
Diaphragmatic breathing or synonymously also called “abdominal breathing” is one of two ways of breathing besides chest breathing. Medically, it is not correct to equate diaphragmatic breathing with abdominal breathing, but both terms are used in the same sense. Breathing with the diaphragm is an automatic, unconscious process.
You do not have to think about when and how you breathe in or out, the body does it by itself. The muscles of the chest and the diaphragm contract and relax alternately. In passive unconscious breathing, diaphragmatic breathing accounts for about 70% of all breathing. To test which breathing you are using yourself, you can place one hand on the rib cage, the other on your stomach and breathe normally. If the thorax rises and falls, you breathe more with your chest, if the abdomen bulges out, you breathe more with your diaphragm.
Mechanism of diaphragmatic breathing
The diaphragm is an almost round muscle that starts at the bottom of the ribs. Its fibers are connected by a sinewy center in the middle. You can imagine the muscle like a dome.
When it contracts during diaphragmatic breathing, the dome sinks. In the process, the abdominal organs are pressed down, the lungs have more space, can expand and fresh air flows into the lungs due to a negative pressure in the thorax. In the process, the organs in the abdomen are compressed a little, so that the abdomen bulges out.
This process describes the inhalation. When breathing out, the diaphragm relaxes, the dome bulges upwards again and the volume in the chest decreases. The lungs contract, the “used” air is exhaled and the abdomen flattens out again.
Who uses diaphragmatic breathing?
In general it can be said that diaphragmatic breathing rarely occurs in isolation. Most people unconsciously use both the diaphragm (diaphragm) and the abdominal muscles, the so-called intercostal muscles, which are located between the ribs and respiratory muscles to assist breathing. Especially in a relaxed state, sitting or sleeping, we use mainly abdominal breathing.
Nevertheless, there are circumstances in which someone is particularly dependent on diaphragmatic breathing. Babies in particular are initially dependent on this breathing method. In addition to musicians who play a wind instrument or professional speakers, singers also prefer abdominal breathing.
This allows them to take in a relatively large amount of air into their lungs and then force them to breathe it out and produce the right sounds with their vocal folds. In addition, diaphragmatic breathing is especially needed when one is active in sports. More oxygen is needed to supply the active muscles. More carbon dioxide must be breathed out and oxygen is needed, so that intercostal muscles, respiratory support muscles, diaphragm and abdominal muscles are required for increased breathing.
