Diaphragmatic breathing
The basic knowledge you need to handle the breathing device is how to perform diaphragmatic breathing.
To use diaphragmatic breathing, using only the diaphragm, one must draw air into the lungs in a way which will expand the stomach and not the chest. The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm is helpful for breathing and respiration. During inhalation the muscle sheet contracts and that enlarges the thoracic cavity creating a kind of suction that draws air into the lungs. When the diaphragm relaxes the air is exhaled. That is why it is called diaphragmatic breathing. Before you start using our breathing device you need to practice diaphragmatic breathing. During inhalation you activate the diaphragm by contracting the muscle. This means that during inhalation your stomach will expand. During exhalation your stomach will fall inwards again towards the spine.
NB! During this exercise the chest must remain still, you simply do not breathe with your chest! Chest breathing is just a way of increasing air supply during hard physical strain, it should not be used as ordinary daily breathing.
Preliminary exercise:
Try putting your hand on your stomach and breathe in through your nose. Try to make the stomach push your hand outwards. Then breathe out slowly through your nose and feel your hand on your stomach fall inwards again towards your spine. Practice this a few times and try not to move your chest while doing it. The chest shall remain still. Practice until you are confident that you can use the diaphragm when you breathe without moving your chest at all. This is how you should breathe from now on, especially when conducting the breathing exercises.
Note: The breathing muscles (the diaphragm and the intercostals in your chest) are of great value for respiration. They are mostly active during inhalation. If these muscles are in good shape more air will reach the lungs and thus finally the cells. If these muscles are not trained enough the body will have to use blood from other places in the body which causes a reduction in blood in other muscles of the body, making them less effective. Unfit breathing muscles makes it harder for you to catch your breath and more fatigue during physical strain.
Exercising breathing muscles is very important especially for athletes, since it enhances the breathing capacity and performance significantly. During inhalation with our breathing device resistance is created, exercising the breathing muscles, which will promote your body´s optimal performance, adaptation and endurance.