Breathe with Zakim: Diaphragmatic Breathing | Dana-Farber Zakim Center Remote Programming

Описание: Breathe with Zakim is a video series created by the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In this series, we teach you evidence-backed breathing techniques to activate your body's natural relaxation response, which may help reduce stress, improve focus, increase energy levels and contribute to overall well-being.

Diaphragmatic breathing (or belly breathing) is a foundational breath practice for parasympathetic activation and pain relief.

Here's how to do it:
1) Find a comfortable position – Sit or lie down.
2) Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly (just below the rib cage).
3) Inhale slowly through your nose and feel your belly rise.
4) Exhale slowly through your mouth (or nose, if preferred). Feel your belly fall as the diaphragm relaxes.
5) Repeat for 5–10 minutes, focusing on keeping your chest still and your belly moving.
6) You can start with 4–6 breaths per minute, which means around 10 seconds per full breath cycle.

Tips:
Lay down and place hands on belly, or place a towel/yoga block on abdomen

Benefits:
Increased lymph flow
Activates parasympathetic nervous system

Research:
-During deep inhalation, the diaphragm descends, creating negative intrathoracic pressure, which dilates the thoracic duct and facilitates upward lymph movement toward the bloodstream. Wang J, Ma J, Zhang Y, Tian Y, Wang X, Wang Y, Xiang D, Wang D, Huang K, Mao L, Zhang J, Fan H, Li Y. The rehabilitation efficacy of diaphragmatic breathing combined with limb coordination training for lower limb lymphedema following gynecologic cancer surgery. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2024 Jun 6;12:1392824. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1392824. PMID: 38903184; PMCID: PMC11187277.

-A small study (10 patients) who had lymphedema due to a stroke combined deep breathing and proprioceptive neuromuscular stretching 3×/week for 4 weeks which led to significant reductions in arm fluid volume, showed improved circulation and movement, reported feeling more comfortable. Hwang WT et al., PMID: 28174433; PMCID: PMC5276742.


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Find the Breathe with Zakim video playlist here:    • Breathe with Zakim