The Power of the Breath

How Proper Breathing Is the Foundation of Strength, Stability, and Serenity

You breathe around 20,000 to 30,000 times every single day, yet most of those breaths do little to support how your body moves and feels. If your shoulders rise when you inhale or your neck feels tense after a long day, chances are you’re not using your diaphragm, the muscle built to do the work.

The Diaphragm: The Forgotten Powerhouse

The diaphragm is a muscle that, when relaxed, sits like a dome behind your ribs, attaching to your lower spine, sternum, and rib cage. When you inhale, it contracts and flattens itself, essentially creating a vacuum, allowing your lungs to fill with fresh air.

That movement does much more than just draw air in, it helps create intra-abdominal pressure (pressure inside of the abdomen). It results in a 360° expansion within your trunk that provides deep, natural stability for your spine and pelvis. This pressure connects your diaphragm with your pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, and multifidi, forming the foundation of your deep core. 

When the diaphragm and these muscles work in sync, your body maintains stability from the inside out. But when breathing becomes shallow and driven by accessory muscles in your neck and upper chest, that internal support system weakens.

Over time, poor breathing mechanics can lead to:

• Neck and shoulder tension
• A hyperextended or collapsed posture
• Difficulty engaging your deep abdominals
• Fatigue and stress from excessive accessory muscle usage

Resting Breathe vs Working Breathe

At rest, your breath should feel easy and quiet, no effort, no tension. During inhalation we are supposed to contract our diaphragms to fill our lungs, then allow the passive recoil of the diaphragm to assist with an effortless exhale. Over time many people unconsciously begin to call on other muscles to perform this action, however, unlike the diaphragm, these muscles are not as good at this job. This excessive use of these muscles in the neck and chest can result in tension and higher levels of energy expenditure. That’s why we need to breathe like a baby. Since babies have not over developed many of the accessory muscles, they are excellent at utilizing their diaphragms. If you watch how a baby breathes: their belly rises and falls gently, and their shoulders stay perfectly still. That’s what healthy, diaphragmatic breathing looks like. 

So what is the point of these accessory muscles if we’re not supposed to use them you might ask? These muscles are meant to be accessed when the needs of the body exceed the capabilities of the diaphragm, during exercise or stress responses. The heavy breathing that occurs after climbing a few flights of stairs or while running or even during resistance training. These are the appropriate times for your accessory muscles to kick in, not when you are sitting at your desk. 

The Breath Nervous System Connection

Your breathing pattern directly affects your autonomic nervous system, which controls your stress and relaxation responses.

Shallow, rapid chest breathing signals the sympathetic system, your body’s “fight or flight” mode. This can increase heart rate, adrenaline, and anxiety.

Slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the parasympathetic system, your “rest and recover” mode. This lowers heart rate, improves digestion, and signals safety to your body.

Every slow, controlled exhale helps stimulate your vagus nerve, a key regulator of parasympathetic tone. That’s why even a few deep breaths can calm your body within seconds physiologically, not just mentally. This is the key principle used in meditation to achieve full relaxation and a peaceful mind. 

How to Reconnect With Your Breath

Try this exercise once a day, especially before workouts or stressful moments:

1. Lying Diaphragmatic Breathing

1. Lie on your back with your knees and hips bent 
2. Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach
3. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and inhale slowly through your nose, feeling both your stomach and your ribs expand out. The breath needs to originate in the belly, however, if there is overspill into the upper chest once the abdomen is full, that is ok.
4. Exhale slowly and gently through your mouth, letting your ribs draw inward as your abs lightly engage
5. Repeat this process for 10-15 breath

Why This Matters for Movement and Health

When your breath, core, and nervous system work together:

• You generate stronger, more efficient stability during lifting and daily activity.
• You reduce neck, back, and shoulder tension from overusing accessory breathing muscles.
• You improve posture and alignment naturally — without forcing it.
• You shift your body into a recovery and repair state more easily.

The diaphragm is not just a breathing muscle; it’s a bridge between your physical structure and your nervous system.

The Takeaway

Every breath is a chance to reset your body from the inside out.
When you breathe deeply and purposefully, you’re not just taking in air, you’re engaging your core, calming your mind, and restoring balance to your entire system.

So before your next workout, stretch, or stressful day, start with a breath.

Let your diaphragm lead, and let your body follow.

written by Dr. Dante Venuto, DPT, PT