Breathing Better: Simple Strategies to Reduce Tension and Improve Energy

Breathing Better: Simple Strategies to Reduce Tension and Improve Energy

Most of us don’t think much about how we breathe—it just happens. But here’s the truth: the way you breathe has a big impact on your stress levels, posture, and even energy throughout the day. Shallow, rapid breathing (which often comes with stress, long hours at a desk, or poor posture) can leave you feeling more anxious, tight, and fatigued. The good news? With just a few small changes, you can retrain your breath to work for you, not against you.

Why Breathing Better Matters: Reducing Tension

Breathing is the foundation of movement. Each breath connects your diaphragm, rib cage, spine, and core muscles. When you breathe well:

• Your nervous system calms down, lowering stress.

• Oxygen delivery improves, giving you more energy.

• Muscles around the neck and shoulders get a break (instead of working overtime).

• Core stability improves, which protects your back.
  

On the flip side, poor breathing mechanics can contribute to:

• Neck and shoulder tension

• Poor sleep

• Sluggish energy

• Decreased ability to focus

• Increased stress reactivity
  

Signs You Might Need to Work on Your Breathing

• Your shoulders rise and fall a lot when you inhale.

• You often catch yourself holding your breath during the day.

• You feel tension in your jaw, neck, or upper back.

• You breathe more through your chest than your belly.
  

Simple PT-Approved Breathing Strategies

1. Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing

   • Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.

   • Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise more than your chest.

   • Exhale gently through pursed lips.

   • Repeat for 1–2 minutes to calm your nervous system.
     

2. Box Breathing (great for stress and focus)

   • Inhale for 4 counts.

   • Hold for 4 counts.

   • Exhale for 4 counts.

   • Hold for 4 counts.

   • Repeat 4–6 cycles.
     

3. 360° Breathing (a PT favorite for posture and core)

   • Place your hands around your lower rib cage.

   • Inhale, feeling your rib cage expand outward, sideways, and backward.

   • Exhale, letting the ribs gently move inward.

   • This strengthens your diaphragm and engages deep core muscles.
     

How Physical Therapy Can Help with Better Breathing

At Nashville Physical Therapy & Performance, we often see patients who don’t realize their pain and stress are tied to how they breathe. In PT, we can:

• Assess your posture and breathing mechanics.

• Teach you corrective exercises that integrate breath with movement.

• Help release tight muscles (like in your neck or rib cage) that make breathing harder.

• Design exercises to connect breathing with core strength, so you move more efficiently.
  

Bottom Line

Breathing better, reduce tension: Breathing is more than just survival—it’s one of the simplest tools you have for reducing stress, boosting energy, and moving with less pain. A few minutes of intentional breathing each day can reset your body and mind.

If you’re curious how better breathing could help you manage stress or improve your movement, we’d love to show you how at Nashville Physical Therapy & Performance.

References:

• Courtney R. Breathing retraining in breathing pattern disorders. Phys Ther Sport. 2009.

• Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O’Rourke D. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe. 2017.

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. “Relaxation Techniques for Health.” 2021.