Being an engineer, I’m a bit of a science geek.
Especially when it comes to the science of the body.
So, if you’re also a science geek, or even if you’re not, I bet you learned The Law of Conservation of Mass.
Basically that’s the law that says in any chemical reaction, mass is neither created or destroyed.
So, here’s a good question for you:
How does fat loss work?
I mean, if you lose fat, and that fat mass doesn’t just disappear, what does it become?
As it turns out, this is a really good question.
Because fat doesn’t just disappear into thin air.
Or does it?
Science has shown that when fat is burned, or oxidized, it becomes carbon dioxide (CO2) and water.
So, when you burn fat, some of that fat leaves your body as water (sweat, urine, poop, breath) and some of it leaves as CO2.
And even more interestingly, most of that mass, 84% of it, is actually CO2.
Basically your exhale, which contains both water and CO2, is mostly where your fat goes!
I don’t know about you, but I find that amazing.
Because, basically, if taken literally, if you exhale a larger volume of CO2, you can actually lose fat.
Now, of course it’s a bit more complicated that this.
And what you put into the system (carbohydrates, fat, protein, water, vitamins, minerals) will definitely affect what comes out.
But there’s still something about the importance of the exhale that isn’t negligible.
So, the question I wondered about is how can we exhale more?
Well, exercise is one great way.
Exercise increases your body’s need for oxygen, so when you’re exercising you take more breaths per minute than if you spent that time sitting.
And of course, as a result, you exhale larger volumes of CO2.
So, besides exercise, what else can cause you to exhale more?
Well, hyperventilation is a thought.
But not a good option.
Hyperventilation is a pretty dangerous thing to do as it can alkalize your blood and can cause some pretty serious symptoms like convulsions and heart palpitations.
However, there are ways that you can breathe that may help you exhale better and more efficiently (and safely.)
Diaphragmic belly breathing is one of those ways.
Most of us usually breathe very shallow, only into our chests.
When we do this, we only use the smaller muscles in the top of our body to breathe, rather than using our diaphragm which is actually designed to help us inhale and exhale fully.
In addition, when you breathe in this shallow way, you tend to not exhale fully and CO2 gets trapped, making your blood more acidic.
Ideally you want your blood to be slightly alkaline.
When your blood is more acidic, you tend to feel more fatigued and lethargic.
But when you breathe from your diaphragm, focusing on exhaling and engaging your abdominal muscles to exhale fully, you can actually reduce CO2 in your blood and increase your energy.
And depending on what your desired outcome is, either relaxation or a boost in energy, the speed at which you breathe also makes a difference.
To calm your body and mind, take longer, slower breaths.
As you know, with a calmer body and mind, stress is lowered, and belly fat loss is easier.
Now, all this being said, I’m not saying that you can lose significant fat through a diet of better breathing alone.
But if you learn to breathe better, meaning deeper into the belly, and taking longer, calmer breaths, you will have less fatigue, less stress, and better sleep, which can all translate into more motivation to move your body.
And together these elements can make a dent in fat loss.
So, really the way you breathe does affect your capacity to lose fat.
And therefore practicing belly breathing, and using your breath to calm you when you feel stressed will make a difference.
Now my question to you is: Are you ready to breathe better?
This Thursday, September 24th, my Belly Fit Yoga class will be starting up on Zoom.
And our first class will focus on better breathing.
Practicing breathing more into the belly, we’ll use the breath to calm the body and mind, and also use it to lead our movement through the postures.
Funny thing is, when I first started Yoga, I was so focused on the postures, breathing was an after thought.
I thought the postures were the Yoga.
But now I believe, actually I know, that Yoga is more about the breath.
Breathe and then move.
It makes all the difference if you’re looking for peace, presence, and better health in your life.
Have a great week.
And keep moving forward,
Debbie
P.S. I’d love to have you in my class this week. It’s easy to sign up, just follow this link and you’ll get the details. And see you on Thursday!