These past several weeks and months, the idea of mask wearing has been getting A LOT of attention.

This blog isn’t intended to weigh in on the debate. It IS intended to discuss (again) a better breathing technique that will make mask wearing easier, even while exercising and will also help boost your immune system when you’re not wearing a mask.

And guess what? It’s NOT a new blog. In fact, I’m actually going to repost an old blog and discuss it as it pertains to mask wearing and the current pandemic.

Most of us have been tasked with wearing a mask in public. Many people struggle with having a mask on. I’ve been pondering this dilemma and trying to understand the physiology of it. One issue that may be causing a problem could be “mouth breathing”.

The following is an excerpt from an older blog:

Many people, for a variety of reasons, tend to breathe through the mouth. Often this pattern of mouth breathing isn’t even noticeable. For example, those who are in a profession that requires a lot of talking, like teachers, or salespeople, may be sipping pockets of air through the mouth as they speak. Some folks may have acquired the habit from sinus problems or chronic stuffiness from colds, or from intense workouts.

It may seem inconsequential. But the truth is, mouth breathing sets us up for a variety of problems whereas nose breathing can help solve a variety of problems. Here’s why.

When we breathe through the nose, the air is not only warmed and moistened to prepare to enter the lungs and the bloodstream, it is also cleaned. The tiny nose hairs that we all hate as we get older, filter out dirt and pollutants. Also, the tonsils and adenoids are part of our immune system. They trap bacteria and viruses and also have antibodies that help prevent throat and lung infections. If you still have your tonsils and adenoids – good for you – literally!

• Nose breathing also increases levels of Nitric Oxide (not laughing gas). Nitric Oxide (NO) helps improve blood flow, blood pressure, and prevent blood clots that can lead to heart attack or stroke. New research has uncovered a relationship between low NO and chronic inflammation.
• Nose breathing also prevents “over breathing” which causes too much CO₂to be exhaled.
• Exhaling too much CO₂causes reduced blood flow to the brain. Reduced blood flow to the brain also means reduce O₂to the brain.
• We get O₂into our blood by gas exchange, not by breathing in more air through our mouths. We need a certain amount of CO₂in our system in order to get the O₂ out of our red blood cells and into the tissues. With mouth breathing not as much O₂ gets passed to the tissues. This is obviously important to our entire body, but imagine the difference for working muscles…
• Instead, slower nose breathing allows for more O₂to move from the blood and into the tissues which is certainly important during exercise.
• In conjunction with encouraging nose breathing, we also want to encourage diaphragmatic breathing. The diaphragm is our primary muscle for respiration. When we breathe diaphragmatically, we can feel a sense of ease as the belly and low ribs expand during our inhale and return to normal on the inhale.
• Mouth breathing tends to recruit “accessory” breathing muscles in the neck and upper chest. This can cause tightness across the chest and neck pain. In fact, mouth breathing can even induce an asthma attack in the case of exercise-induced asthma.
• When we inhale, we stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). That’s the “fight or flight” system. When we exhale, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is stimulated. PNS is the “rest and digest” system. In our fast-paced society, we tend to spend too much time in SNS stimulation which is leading to a whole laundry list of health problems. In short, in order to support a healthier mind and body, we need to spend more time in PNS stimulation. This is another reason for slowing down the breath, taking air in through the nose and enjoying a nice long exhale.

Getting back to allergy season. There are many schools of thought as to the BEST method for breathing. For the allergy sufferers who may be reading this and wondering how on earth can I possibly breathe through my nose with all of this junk blocking my airway, some of these methods, such as Buteyko breathing can actually help clear your sinuses!

I encourage you to explore nose breathing. Try to catch yourself when you are breathing through the mouth – yes even in spin class. Focus on slowing down and bringing air in through your nose. In moments when you can focus on your breath, try making your exhales longer than your inhales. For example, inhale for a count of one and exhale for a count of two. Allow your belly to rise and fall as you breathe. I’ll bet you notice a difference immediately.

Back to masks. What would nose breathing have to do with masks?

• Remember your sinuses help clean the air as it comes in. This doesn’t happen with mouth breathing.
• Nose breathing reduces the number of micro-droplets released into the air. When we exhale through the mouth, we expel many more micro-droplets than we would through the nose. Exhaling through the mouth is somewhat like a micro-sneeze in terms of what gets released into the air.
• Because of improved gas exchange, our cells are better able to maintain aerobic metabolism. This keeps the power houses of the cells working at their best and improves the body’s ability to remove toxins and debris.

All of these factors help make mask wearing more physiologically tolerable.

What about exercising with a mask?

It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable. But it’s doable.

If you’ve tried intense aerobic exercise with a mask, you know it can be a challenge.

Our miraculous bodies hate that obstruction at first, but over time, most of us adapt.

It’s looking like mask wearing is going to be “a thing” for some time to come. So, here is some information to help.

• Start slowly. Begin with low intensity exercise and work your way up to moderate intensity/shorter duration and then increase the duration.
• NOSE BREATHE
• Take frequent breaks
• If you begin to feel dizzy or nauseous, take off the mask and reduce your intensity immediately.
• Try to exhale longer than the inhale. As your Parasympathetic Nervous System kicks in, breathing will become easier.

Note:

• Learning to nose breathe takes some practice – or training – if you will. There are several schools of thought that teach specific types of nose breathing. If you’re considering this as something to you might try, here are some tips to help you begin:
• Start slowly, when you are relatively still.
• Set a specific time frame during which you’ll breathe only through your nose (e.g. one minute).
• Focus on noticing your diaphragm moving as you breathe.
• Gradually increase the time you’re nose breathing as well as the amount of activity.
• When you begin nose breathing during activity, follow these same guidelines. Start with a lower intensity and build up.

I hope you’ll give this a try. I genuinely believe this could be life changing for you. Please keep me posted on how you’re coming along with it. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time..

Be Well My Friends