Breathe to Lose Weight

Most of us understand that a healthy diet and exercise are vitally important to effective weight loss. As trainers this is something we preach to our clients daily. However, it is possible that despite the best efforts in dieting and exercise, high levels of stress may be preventing weight loss. This may come as a surprise to find out that, in addition to all the other problems stress brings, it may also be preventing the bodily systems from working properly and not allowing the metabolism to burn fat.. Luckily, we understand how stress affects the body, there are a couple of simple things we can teach to reverse the problem and get our clients on the right track.
To begin, we need to understand a little about how the body works. There are two systems that control the internal functioning of the body; the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The PNS is concerned with resting and digestion. When you are relaxed, the PMS allows the blood pressure to decrease, slows the heartbeat and facilitates your digestive process.
The SNS, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with the “fight or flight” response within your body. The "fight or flight" response is an important stimulus that is triggered when you are startled or surprised. At these times blood pressure increases, your heart beats faster, and your digestive process slows down. It is important to understand the chemical reactions in your body when this happens. The adrenal glands enlarge and begin to secrete large quantities of adrenal cortical hormones. These hormones suppress inflammatory responses and mobilize the body's energy reserves. It is like putting the body on red alert. The body diverts all of its resources toward survival. Your body's natural healing mechanisms are scaled back because healing diverts energy that is needed for immediate use. With the immune system suppressed, the glycogen stores in the liver and muscle tissue are mobilized to raise the blood sugar level while digestion is slowed.
Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in the adrenal cortex. cortisol plays an important role in regulating blood sugar, managing energy production, dealing with inflammation, and maintaining the immune system. Too little cortisol can cause chronic fatigue, exhaustion and Addison's disease, a disease of the endocrine system. Too much cortisol may, in fact, cause weight gain. Since its role is to provide energy to the body, cortisol can cause an increase in appetite which may lead to overeating. In addition, elevated cortisol levels have been found to cause fat to be deposited in the abdominal region. Other problems of excessive cortisol include immune system failure, accelerated aging and stomach ulcers.
During the “fight or flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system, cortisol levels are elevated as a reaction to the stress of the situation. It is very important to understand that the adrenal glands of the body are not concerned with the type of stress that triggers the release of cortisol. Any kind of stress will do. It can be physical, environmental, chemical or imaginary. The origin of the stress is irrelevant; the human brain is simply hardwired to protect the body from whatever threatens it.
Here is where the big problem lies. The "fight or flight" response worked very well in the distant past when humans were dealing with creatures that wanted to eat us for dinner. But as the human race has ascended to the top of the food chain, those dangers have eased. Unfortunately, the fast pace of life and the frenetic energy modern society calls forth keeps all of us in a state of constant stimulation. The stress that this creates as we battle traffic jams, stand in line at the post office, and watch rapidly flickering images on the television, all produce the same physiological responses as having to run for your life. The SNS kicks in and cortisol is released. Since these stimuli don’t stop or go away, the body is left with chronically high levels of cortisol for long periods of time. If you are dealing with stress on a daily basis, it is quite probable that your sympathetic nervous system is in a constant state of stimulation.
Most of us today realize that stress is a principal cause of many of the health problems in our society. Even Western medicine seems finally ready to agree. And while there are many different causes of this stress, the technological advances of the global economy and the intensity with which our leisure hours are filled, i.e., sports, television and movies, especially crowd in on us, creating an environment that feeds the stress. “Stress-related” has become the new buzzword. We have stress-related diseases and stress-related illness, and stress-related behavior. What’s next? Stress-related stress? Soon, I’m sure we will see a new medication on the market guaranteed to solve absolutely all our “stress-related” problems -- or your money back!
Unfortunately, there is no magic pill. The best way to deal with stress is by changing behavior patterns and altering the situations we put ourselves in. The interesting thing about stress is that it feeds on itself. A little bit of stress can quickly become a serious dysfunction if allowed to take hold. Stress can also be generated by taking on too much responsibility, which demands high-speed efficiency and productivity. You may make commitments or promises you are unable to keep. Simply put, the amount of stuff you are working on exceeds the actual time and effort you need to put into it. As you fall further behind, the more anxiety you generate.
There is hope, however. And this is where we, as trainers, come in. If we can help our clients to become aware of the causes of their stress, we can help them to begin to take positive steps towards reducing the influence it has on them. Accepting that they are stressed allows them to focus on making progress in combating it. We all know that the hardest thing to do is to relax when you are in the grip of stress. However, if we can start with something as basic as breathing, we create an opportunity to gather pull things together and deal with the stress effectively.
Proper breathing is one of the most important, and often overlooked tools that is available to deal with stress. The fact is that most people simply never learned to breathe properly. As a result, they breathe in very shallow gasps, only using the top part of their lungs. Sadly, this brings in only enough oxygen to keep the body functioning at a minimum level. This is woefully inadequate.
We all understand how breathing works. When we breathe in we take in oxygen which is converted to energy. This energy is distributed throughout the body via the circulatory system. Shallow breathing does not provide enough oxygen and energy for the body to counter the demands of a high-pressure lifestyle most of us live. Effective breathing begins in the the abdomen. It is done by expanding the belly as we breathe in, and contracting it as we breathe out. It simply allows us to take a deeper breath, bringing in more oxygen and energy. Teaching clients this simple method will have an immediate impact. Once they grasp the concept practice it can take place at any time, in bed before they get up, in the traffic jam on their way to work, or sitting at their desk during the day. It takes a short time and very little effort, yet the benefits are enormous. Natural, conscious, deep breathing creates a harmonious rhythm within the body, reducing stress and strain on the muscles of the heart and slowing down the heartbeat. The rhythmic expansion and contraction of the muscles used in breathing help with the circulation of blood through the body, which improves muscle elasticity. In addition, the deep rhythmic expansion and contraction of the diaphragm and muscles around the lungs not only enhance their strength, but massages the body’s internal organs.
Teaching clients to breath properly is very simple. Begin with a brief introduction to the difference between shallow breathing and deep abdominal breathing. Have them lie down on their back and place their hands on their abdomen. Have them practice breathing by expanding the abdominal muscles outwards as they inhale. They should hold the breath for a moment and then contract the abdominal muscles as they exhale. At first they may have a little difficulty with this, but they get the hang of it without too much trouble. Once they have the basic idea, have them stand up and lead them through some simple breathing exercises by raising and lowering their arms while breathing with the abdomen.
As you continue your work with them insert a few moments of breathing exercises at regular intervals before, during and after the training session. Instill in them the understanding that regular practice of conscious breathing can help them manage their stress levels and ease the sympathetic nervous system’s domination. Learning to breathe better can bring dramatic results in a relatively short time. They will experience noticeable results as breathing becomes a tool for dealing with stress in their lives. Paying attention to breathing stimulates self-awareness, and they will begin to notice how their body is feeling and reacting to the way they are living and the lifestyle choices they are making. Breathing literally allows them to start ‘tuning into’ themselves.

It may seem overly simplistic. But the truth is that it is often the simplest of things that can make the biggest difference. By understanding that deep, relaxed breathing stimulates the PNS, which decreases blood pressure, slows the heart beat and allows the digestive process to function properly, anyone can begin to get their life under control. As their system relaxes, their adrenal glands regulate the amount of cortisol that is being secreted. In this manner, by simply learning to breathe and relax, they can release tension and even be able to lose the weight they want. Of course, breathing is just one part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Negative lifestyle choices such as smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise need to be addressed in order to fully experience the benefits of this practice. However instilling effective breathing techniques will give your clients a tool for stress relief and weight loss that will bring immediate results.

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