What Is Functional Breathing
Did you know there was a right way to breathe?!  Most people will say they can do it pretty well, given they are still alive, but as with all body functions, there is an optimal way of doing it.
When you are at rest, functional breathing involves breathing through the nose. Breathing is quiet, slow, and utilises your diaphragm; your upper chest remains still, but your abdomen moves.
Check Your Breathing Now !
Ask yourself these questions:
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Am I breathing through my nose or mouth?
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Can I hear myself breathing?
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If I rest one hand on my chest and the other on my tummy, which one do I feel moving more?
The demands of the day may require us to adapt our breathing techniques to cope with the task at hand. For example, we may breathe a little harder when we are walking, doing chores around the house or exercising. And still, in most cases, this should be possible through our nose unless we are exercising towards our maximum capacity.
Nose
The primary function of the nose is to protect our airway. While the nose has over 30 different functions, some of the most important include filtering and moistening the air we breathe. This process prevents foreign materials from irritating our airways, improves gas exchange, and helps regulate the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide that our bodies need.
Breathing through the nose also aids in regulating our breathing, as it communicates directly with the brain and activates the diaphragm, our primary breathing muscle. Using your nose to slow down your breathing is crucial for recovery, as it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which conveys a sense of safety and supports better quality sleep
Breathe Light and Quiet
Functional breathing should not sound heavy or laboured. If it is, it is likely you are over-breathing. When this occurs, you can alter the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide that the body needs to function efficiently. In people with dysfunctional breathing patterns, breathing light can cause a sense of Air Hunger and also feel stressful, resulting in an increase in breathing rate and depth, which in turn feeds a dysfunctional breathing pattern.
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You can assess your sensitivity to air hunger by using the BOLT score.
Breathe Slow
Functional Breathing is slow and soft. The average number of breaths per minute when at rest should be 12 -16 breaths per minute.
Harder, faster breathing can mimic stress to our body, triggering a sympathetic nervous system response that increases heart rate, blood pressure and causes hormonal changes.
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Being able to control this is powerful in increasing our resilience, maintaining clear focus and improving mental and physical recovery.
The Diaphragm
Functional breathing should utilise the diaphragm muscle. It is a dome-shaped sheet of muscle that sits at the bottom of the lungs and divides our chest and abdominal cavities.
When we want to take a breath, the diaphragm is automatically instructed by the brain to contract, moving down and creating more volume in the chest, which in turn draws air in and allows the lungs to expand. When it relaxes, we breathe out, and it returns to its resting position.
The diaphragm doesn’t work alone. There are other muscles which contribute to the chest expanding by lifting the ribs up and out, creating even more space for a larger breath. The pattern with which we recruit these muscles can sometimes be a cause of breathing pattern disorders.
The Diaphragm & Posture
Because of its position in the body, it is also integral to trunk or core stability.
Your core should be considered to be a box, and the diaphragm is the top of this box. As the diaphragm contracts and moves down, pressure is increased inside the box, enhancing core stability.
It works in conjunction with the pelvic floor, which is the bottom of the box, and is also important in trunk stability.
Therefore, if you suffer from Back pain, making sure your diaphragm is working optimally can be helpful.
The Diaphragm & The Pelvic Floor
The diaphragm and pelvic Floor are connected through the deep muscular and fascial connections of the trunk and pelvis.
Therefore, as we inhale, the diaphragm contracts, moving down and creating pressure in the abdomen. The pelvic floor responds reciprocally by relaxing and moving down to help absorb this pressure.
Conversely, when we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its resting position in the chest. The pelvic floor reciprocally contracts, gently moving up to support the abdominal contents.
Good diaphragm movement is essential for optimal pelvic floor function. If breathing is too high in the chest, it can disrupt the function of the pelvic floor, causing overactivity and or weakness.
Therefore, addressing breathing pattern disorders can contribute to managing issues such as incontinence and pelvic pain disorders.