Why Should You Inhale Through Your Nose and Exhale Through Your Mouth?
If you want to breathe efficiently, it is best to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This breathing pattern allows the body to use the maximum amount of oxygen and helps reduce stress. It also helps prevent dry mouth and bad breath. The practice may take some time to get used to, but once you have the hang of it, you will see the benefits in your daily life.
Breathing through your nose helps filter air, humidify it and warm it to the temperature of the body, making it easier for the lungs to use. It is the most natural way to breathe, and it’s also the healthiest.
Mouth breathing is unnatural and can lead to many health problems including bad breath, snoring, dry mouth and poor posture. It can also hinder exercise and cause chronic pain and injury in the back, neck, shoulders and jaw. Breathing through the nose helps you to avoid these issues and improve your performance in all areas of your life.
Your nasal lining contains special cells that act as a natural medical device and prevent the passage of toxins into your lungs. Allergens, dust, pollen and other particles are caught by these cells and destroyed by enzymes, so the body doesn’t take them in. Breathing through the nose also humidifies and warms the air, which reduces dehydration of the nasal and sinus tissues.
The nitric oxide you inhale during nose breathing is a vasodilator, meaning it widens the blood vessels, which makes it easier for the body to use oxygen and improves circulation. This process can also help lower blood pressure.
Nose breathing has been shown to improve the function of the lungs, immune system and blood vessels. It is also associated with higher levels of oxygen in the brain, which enhances memory function.
To breathe through your nose, close your mouth and inhale slowly for a count of 4 seconds. Then exhale for a count of 8, making a long whoosh sound. Repeat this breathing cycle for a few weeks until you can do it without effort.
Your nose was specially designed to breathe through, so you should be using it for this purpose. The nose is a complex structure that contains several small muscles and a wide opening. It has been proven that when you breathe through your nose, it is 22% more efficient than when you breathe through your mouth. The next time you need a reminder, think of the benefits of nose breathing and remember to breathe through your nose. It will make a world of difference in how you feel, and it could even save your life. The author, James Nestor, is a science journalist and the author of the book Breath: A New Science of a Lost Art. To learn more about this and other topics, visit his website. He has contributed to several publications and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.