Oxygen is a critical ingredient for our wellbeing.
Oxygen is a critical ingredient for our wellbeing and essential for all human functions. The respiratory and cardiovascular systems provide and properly distribute oxygen to our cells.
All human performance, energy, and function is based on appropriate tissue oxygenation. Consequently, oxygen critically impacts performance as a vital ingredient in this process. Would you like greater endurance?
Endurance is the ability to sustain vigorous effort by supplying oxygen to working muscles. Therefore, when the body can no longer keep up with the oxygen demand, endurance and human working capacity come to an end. Inadequate oxygen supply negatively impacts the structural and functional integrity of the brain and the body’s organs. Any disturbance of this supply can be life threatening. Notably, oxygen serves as a critical ingredient for wellbeing at every level of our physiology.
The connection between oxygen and disease
Dr. Arthur Guyton theorised that a lack of oxygen at the cellular level causes all chronic pain, suffering, and diseases. People refer to this lack of cellular oxygen as hypoxia, which plays a role in several disorders. Examples of these disorders, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and various other neurodegenerative diseases, highlight the importance of oxygen in disease prevention, as experts agree.
They also found that regions of low oxygen tension commonly occur in malignant tumours. These increase the frequency of tumour invasion and metastasis.
Additionally, medical science has revealed an alarming fact 80% of the population is breathing incorrectly. It has found that this breathing is shallow and inefficient, occurring in the chest only. Consequently, this creates a stress response. It is a vicious cycle that results in a shallow “default” breathing pattern, producing 12 – 18 breaths a minute. Science tells us we need only 6 proper deep breaths in a minute to supply our needs. Therefore, deep breathing is a critical ingredient for boosting oxygenation for wellbeing.
Additionally, all the extra activity involved in our short, shallow breathing habits robs us of precious energy. It produces toxic waste products and promotes a wide range of diseases in our bodies. This indicates that short, shallow breathing habits can contribute to depression and contribute to “burnout syndrome”.
How to Increase Oxygenation for Wellbeing
By improving how we breathe, we can optimise the supply of this critical ingredient—oxygen. As a result, we can improve our wellbeing when we optimise our oxygen supply.
The average human being breathes between 12 – 18 breaths a minute. That equates to 18,000 to 26,000 breaths every 24 hours. In essence, these numbers demonstrate how often our wellbeing depends on oxygen as a critical ingredient via our breath.
Given these points, we should consume 6 breaths per minute at rest to meet our needs. We must truly see oxygen as a critical ingredient for optimal wellbeing. Being aware of your breath and tuning into it mindfully, is also a good form of meditation.
Extra activity from our short, shallow breathing habits impacts optimal wellbeing. When this occurs, we lose precious energy, produce toxic waste products, and promote disease in our bodies. We cannot ignore oxygen’s role as a critical ingredient for achieving wellbeing.
(Source: Instructor Manual for Nirvana Fitness)
I teach a practice called Nirvana® that helps you to re-program your breathing in an easy to learn way. You can read more about it here: https://nirvana.fitness/about
To learn more about how I can help you to re-program your breathing to help you achieve higher levels of oxygenation, contact me here. Remember, incorporating strategies that focus on oxygen as a critical ingredient for your wellbeing is a wise step in improving overall health.