Breathing exercises to lose belly fat may not be the first technique you think of for weight loss. I’m willing to bet that you never even knew such a thing existed. Before reading this article, there were some pretty unique connections between breathing and weight loss.

One of the biggest problems with improper breathing is that we usually take shallow breaths from our chest instead of deep breaths from our diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle located just below the lungs that help control airflow into and out of them when we breathe. Taking deeper breaths will allow more oxygen into your body, which means more energy for those tough workouts! The other important thing about proper breathing is posture: make sure not to hunch over or slouch when standing or sitting because this can affect how well you take oxygen into your lungs.

Breathing exercise is a simple and powerful way to lose belly fat. With the help of breathing exercises, you can achieve your weight loss goals without any strenuous physical activity. The holistic approach is essentially focused on improving the breathing pattern, which results in reducing stress hormones and thus promotes weight loss.

There are two opposing CO2 and O2 systems. The CO2 system is associated with burning food for energy, whereas the O2 system is responsible for releasing energy from food. The balance between these two systems helps maintain a healthy weight. To lose belly fat, you should improve your overall body weight through proper diet and exercise.

You can also adopt some specific breathing exercises designed to target areas such as stomach and chest muscles, which will help you lose your belly fat at a faster pace. An excellent example of such exercise is Pranayama which involves deep breathing techniques and some postures to strengthen muscles in particular areas of your body.

Before we get into the specific exercises, let’s look at the science behind why proper breathing is crucial for losing weight.

The Science

When you take in sufficient oxygen with each breath, your metabolism increases, and increasing your metabolism increases the number of calories your body burns each day. This is a good thing because when your metabolism is at its peak, your body will burn through more energy (meaning more calories), and what it doesn’t burn off will be stored as fat cells (which is terrible).

So by taking in more oxygen with each breath, you’re effectively burning more calories throughout the day and reducing the number of calories absorbed as fat cells.

• Deep breathing

This is the most basic exercise that is usually the first step in any yoga session or workout routine. When done correctly, deep breathing helps relieve stress and relaxes the mind and body. It also improves blood circulation and metabolism, which helps in losing weight. To do this breathing exercise, sit up straight with your back perpendicular to the floor, close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose till it reaches your diaphragm (the area below your rib cage). Feel it expand as more air fills your lungs. Then slowly exhale through the mouth while keeping your abdominal muscles tight so that they contract as all the air is expelled from your lungs.

• Breathing Through Your Mouth

This is one of the most common breathing techniques used by those who want to lose weight. It is also one of the easiest ways to breathe while exercising since it doesn’t require you to do any physical movements. You can do this exercise while lying down or sitting on a chair. Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose as you would typically do when breathing through your mouth and out through your nose.

• The Breath-Body Workout

The breath-body workout is a simple technique that allows you to teach your body how to breathe correctly with your diaphragm. There are two simple steps – the first step is to exhale through your mouth and make a hissing sound like air leaking out of a balloon. The second step is to inhale deeply through your nose, and as you do this, imagine you are pulling air into your belly, not your chest.

Once you have completed this exercise 10 times, sit on the floor and place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach. Take a big breath in and as you breathe out, push down on your belly to get flat against the floor. The hand on your chest shouldn’t move; only the hand on your stomach should move.

• Diaphragmatic Breathing

This is one of the most effective breathing exercises for belly fat loss. This technique involves breathing deeply while expanding your abdomen and then exhaling as you pull your core inwards. Practice this technique once every day for ten minutes, slowly increasing each time you do it until you can breathe like this for 30 minutes a day.

• CAT-COW

The cat-cow is a two-in-one yoga exercise that will help you strengthen and stretch simultaneously. Start on all fours with your back straight and your neck in line with your spine. Inhale deeply and arch your back, looking down at the floor. Let your stomach drop downwards as if you’re trying to touch the base with your belly button. Exhale as you round your back, pushing it toward the ceiling and tucking in your tailbone. Look up at the top and pull in that stomach! Repeat these movements ten times, ensuring you’re keeping a steady breath.

• The Bellow’s Breath aka Bhastrika pranayama

The Bellow’s Breath, aka Bhastrika pranayama, is a powerful breathing technique to lose belly fat. In Sanskrit, Bhastra means bellows, and kriya means breath. It is a popular breathing exercise mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika and Gheranda Samhita.

Bhastrika pranayama is an energizing breathing exercise that helps ‘baste’ your body with oxygen. It immediately invigorates you and makes you feel alive. This breathing technique helps open up the lungs and improves respiration. It also removes toxins from the body.

Increased circulation also helps distribute nutrients effectively to all parts of your body. When done regularly, bhastrika pranayama improves metabolism, increases endurance, strengthens your respiratory system, eliminates toxins from the body, and prevents diseases like asthma, cold, and cough.

Here’s how you do the Bellow’s breath:

• Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.
• Close your eyes and begin taking deep breaths through your nose.
• Once satisfied, start exhaling forcefully through both nostrils simultaneously (like blowing out a candle).
• Then inhale forcefully and rapidly through both nostrils as well. This is one round of bellow’s breath.
• Repeat this for ten rounds after each round, and take a few normal breaths before starting the next round.
• If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop doing this pranayama and take deep breaths.
• Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi shodhana

Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi shodhana is pranayama. Pranayama is an ancient breathing exercise that involves controlling and regulating your breathing. This exercise stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect on your mind and body. It helps relieve stress and anxiety. It also improves the function of your lungs, heart, and other essential organs.

The method of alternate nostril breathing is as follows:

• Start by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
• Relax your muscles and clear your mind.
• Sit up straight with your spine erect. You can use a meditation bench if you find it difficult to sit cross-legged on the floor.
• Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Breathe out through your left nostril.
• Now breathe in through the left nostril.
• Release your right thumb off the right nostril and close your left nostril while exhaling through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril.
• Exhale through the left nostril by closing it with your right thumb again. The exact process continues until you have completed ten breathing cycles from both sides using alternate-nostril.