The lip brake is an effective exercise, among other things, against stress and breathing difficulties. Here you can find out how the lip brake works and how you can do it yourself.
The way we breathe affects our physical and mental health. A breathing technique that can help with shortness of breath, shortness of breath and panic attacks is the so-called “lip brake”. This simple method can not only help regulate breathing flow, but also reduce stress and increase concentration.
What does the lip brake do?
Lip brake is a breathing technique that aims to slow down and deepen breathing. This is done by closing your mouth slightly and allowing the breath to flow through a small gap between your lips. This creates a gentle resistance that slows and deepens your breathing.
This is an effective relaxation method, especially in stressful situations. According to Quarks, when we release stress hormones, we often automatically breathe faster and shallower. This causes our heart rate to increase and our muscles to become more tense. However, if we consciously breathe deeper and slower in such moments, the body receives fewer stress signals. This can be achieved with a series of breathing exercises, for example the lip brake. This makes it easier for the organism to return to rest mode.
Correct breathing has a number of other benefits: for example, it ensures better concentration and performance, lower blood pressure and improves our mood. You can find out more about this here: Breathe properly: Why it is so important
But the lip brake can also be effective for other complaints.
- For example, you can use it during a panic attack to relieve shortness of breath and calm yourself down.
- Even in the case of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, the lip brake can, in addition to drug therapy, relieve various symptoms such as shortness of breath, shortness of breath and severe cough. Those affected should perform the lip brake regularly.
- According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the lip brake is also effective for breathing problems that occur as a result of Long Covid.
This is how the lip brake works
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / asundermeier)
The lip brake is easy to learn and can be used anywhere and at any time. These are the steps to practice the technique:
- Sit in a comfortable position, either in a chair or on the floor.
- Relax your shoulders and close your eyes if you wish.
- Close your lips gently, leaving only a small gap.
- Breathe in slowly and deeply through your stomach and nose. Consciously imagine the air flowing into your stomach, not your chest.
- Breathe out through the gap just as slowly and in a controlled manner. The exhalation should take about twice as long as the inhalation.
- Repeat this process for at least eleven minutes. From this point on, according to the spectrum, the body is able to switch to a kind of maintenance program and regenerate itself comprehensively.
It is important to breathe calmly and evenly and be careful not to breathe too hard as this can reduce the desired effect.
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- Breathing exercises: You should know these exercises
- Pranayama: This is how the breathing exercises in yoga work