Revealing the most beneficial way to walk

Sharing with CNN , Professor Michael Fredericson, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Stanford University (USA), said that we benefit greatly from focusing on breathing even when you do something as simple as walking.

“Breathing is incredibly important in helping you relax and focus,” says Fredericson. “Athletes use it all the time to control the sympathetic nervous system, whose main function is to stimulate the body to respond to stressful situations.”

When the sympathetic nervous system is over-activated, it can lead to exhaustion and an inability to sleep, he says. Breathing can help activate the body's parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us relax by calming our perceptions in stressful situations.

Bật mí cách đi bộ mang lại nhiều lợi ích nhất - 1 — You'll double the benefits of walking just by combining it with breathing exercises (Photo: Istock).

While people often think of yoga and tai chi when it comes to coordinating breath with movement, Fredericson says the workout can also be done through the simple act of walking.

“Studies have shown that exercising your mind and body can lower blood pressure, improve your mood, increase your energy, help you sleep better, and improve your overall vitality,” he says.

Incorporate breathing exercises into your walking

Breathing techniques come in many different forms, and can range from simply matching your breathing to your steps, inhaling and exhaling through your nose, and even holding your breath for a certain number of seconds.

In fact, incorporating breathing into your regular walking routine doesn’t have to be too formal. According to Fredericson, the first step is to become truly aware of your breathing. Just doing so will help you relax. And by becoming aware of your breathing, you’ll naturally begin to slow down your breathing.

Next, consider the connection between the movement of your legs and your breathing. Keep your breathing steady, inhaling, holding your breath for a moment, and then exhaling. Finally, start timing each step.

Mouth breathing and nose breathing

Patrick McKeown, an international breathing and sleep expert and author of "The Oxygen Advantage," suggests beginners start with a simple walk at a pace that allows them to maintain nasal breathing.

McKeown advocates nasal breathing (inhaling and exhaling through the nose) because it involves more diaphragmatic recruitment than mouth breathing and has the advantage of providing more stability to the spine.

“Let your nose adjust to the level of breathlessness during exercise that feels comfortable to you,” he says.

Although the initial feeling of "air hunger" when breathing through your nose during exercise is stronger than breathing through your mouth, within a few short weeks it becomes easier to maintain nasal breathing, says McKeown.

"Breathing in through the nose helps clear the breath. Our nose is designed as a filtering system. So breathing through the nose can protect the airways by humidifying, warming, and filtering incoming air, and may also be better at calming the body's sympathetic nervous system," Fredericson analyzed.

“Breathing through your nose rather than your mouth can really improve your walking performance. I use nose breathing on my daily walks because it really helps increase my cardiovascular fitness and increase my oxygen levels,” Dalton Wong, founder of TwentyTwo Training (USA), told The Times .

It can be hard to breathe through your nose while running if you haven’t practiced much. But the lower intensity of your run provides the perfect opportunity to try it. As a bonus, Wong says, it can also help you de-stress.

“Breathing through your nose forces you to breathe more deeply from your diaphragm, which has been linked to reduced stress. And focusing on your breathing also makes you less likely to dwell on negative thoughts,” says Wong.

Combining breathing with walking also helps them not tire as quickly, says Daniel H. Craighead, a research assistant professor in the Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder.

And it's a tactic that can be especially well-suited to athletes and hikers.

Still, the expert admits, some studies show that nasal breathing is great, some show no benefit. There is no definitive statement about why nasal breathing is good.

But practicing specific breathing techniques can help us feel better. Breathing is generally safe, with no known side effects or downsides. Breathing slowly and deeply in meditation can be good for your stress levels and blood pressure.

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