How many have watched Emily in Paris? I binge watched seasons 1 and 2. I love the beginning scene of the first episode of season 1 where Emily completes a run along the lakeshore in Chicago. I have run at this location on multiple occasions! The scene brings about a bit of nostalgia, until I notice Emily’s breathing pattern. It is the opposite of 360 breathing— she is using a shallow breathing pattern with her shoulders moving up towards the ears, pec muscles swiftly moving out, and the ribcage moving up, not out.
What exactly is 360 breathing and why is it important? For starters, 360 breathing is not belly breathing. If you take a deep breath with your stomach expanding out— this is belly breathing. 360 breathing is the full expansion of your diaphragm at the front, back and sides. Take a moment and try taking 3 belly breaths. When I try belly breathing, I feel pressure coming down on my pelvic floor and almost stop before I can get a full breath. Try taking 3 passive breathes from the chest. Notice the pectoral muscles coming forward and shoulders moving up towards the ears. Continually breathing this way will cause tight pecs, tight shoulders, and a tight neck. Now take a moment practicing taking 3 deep breaths while focusing on the diaphragm expanding in all directions— four-fingers placed on the front of the ribcage, the webspace between the thumb and index finger (referred to as “thenar”) placed on the side of the ribcage and thumbs on the back. Take a deep breath while focusing on expansion of the ribcage— there should be pressure on fingers, thumbs and the thenar webspace when taking a deep breath. This pressure on the fingers is the expansion of the diaphragm, external intercostals, and the serratus muscles working as we breathe in. Now breathe out and feel the ribcage coming back down and in while exhaling fully— this is 360 breathing. When we practice and use 360 breathing, especially when running and exercising, there is less pressure on the pelvic floor, less tightness in the upper body, and proper core muscles are engaged thereby reducing the risk of injury.
What exactly is 360 breathing and why is it important? For starters, 360 breathing is not belly breathing. If you take a deep breath with your stomach expanding out— this is belly breathing. 360 breathing is the full expansion of your diaphragm at the front, back and sides. Take a moment and try taking 3 belly breaths. When I try belly breathing, I feel pressure coming down on my pelvic floor and almost stop before I can get a full breath. Try taking 3 passive breathes from the chest. Notice the pectoral muscles coming forward and shoulders moving up towards the ears. Continually breathing this way will cause tight pecs, tight shoulders, and a tight neck. Now take a moment practicing taking 3 deep breaths while focusing on the diaphragm expanding in all directions— four-fingers placed on the front of the ribcage, the webspace between the thumb and index finger (referred to as “thenar”) placed on the side of the ribcage and thumbs on the back. Take a deep breath while focusing on expansion of the ribcage— there should be pressure on fingers, thumbs and the thenar webspace when taking a deep breath. This pressure on the fingers is the expansion of the diaphragm, external intercostals, and the serratus muscles working as we breathe in. Now breathe out and feel the ribcage coming back down and in while exhaling fully— this is 360 breathing. When we practice and use 360 breathing, especially when running and exercising, there is less pressure on the pelvic floor, less tightness in the upper body, and proper core muscles are engaged thereby reducing the risk of injury.
Example of hand placement at the bottom of the ribs when feeling for 360 breathing.
The way we breathe also affects our nervous system. Last week, my husband and I planned for a long run at the beach. I have run at the beach on several occasions, but never for an extended period. Things were not going as planned, it was a hard, I felt myself hitting a wall 10 minutes into the run and I wanted to stop. I noticed myself passively breathing and taking shallow breaths— like the scene mentioned above in Emily in Paris. I quickly readjusted and focused on practicing my 360 breathing—soon thereafter, my mood changed and enjoyed a fabulous long run with my husband. So, what happened here? The way that we breathe affects our mood. Shallow breathing triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body for a flight of flight response (negative thinking, wanting to stop), whereas 360 breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps restore the body to a calm and composed state.
Mastering the 360 breathing techniques does not happen overnight, you’ll need to practice, and it takes time. So, I challenge everyone to practice 360 breathing while running, lifting, or even while you are reading a book. What you practice will eventually become a habit.
Happy Running,
Rose
*Information contained in the above piece was learned after completing a certification course from Core Exercise Solutions.
Mastering the 360 breathing techniques does not happen overnight, you’ll need to practice, and it takes time. So, I challenge everyone to practice 360 breathing while running, lifting, or even while you are reading a book. What you practice will eventually become a habit.
Happy Running,
Rose
*Information contained in the above piece was learned after completing a certification course from Core Exercise Solutions.
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