Live data from Hacker News

Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

scientificamerican.com

11–20 of 145 posts

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#11
post #2

Standing up straight isn't as easy as it sounds. For a lot of desk workers you're going to have to fix your tight hamstrings, abnormal pelvic tilt, and weak abdominal muscles before it will be possible to stand up straight.

Why do you say abnormal pelvic tilt? Is that common? (I literally just got a massage where the bodyworker told me my hip was tilted majority, so it’s a stricking thing to read here...)

Yes, it's ubiquitous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelvic_tilt. Exercises that strengthen stabilizer muscles (squats, or yoga or something) help a lot with it.

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#12
post #2

Standing up straight isn't as easy as it sounds. For a lot of desk workers you're going to have to fix your tight hamstrings, abnormal pelvic tilt, and weak abdominal muscles before it will be possible to stand up straight.

Why do you say abnormal pelvic tilt? Is that common? (I literally just got a massage where the bodyworker told me my hip was tilted majority, so it’s a stricking thing to read here...)

What massage was this?

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#13
post #3
post #2

Standing up straight isn't as easy as it sounds. For a lot of desk workers you're going to have to fix your tight hamstrings, abnormal pelvic tilt, and weak abdominal muscles before it will be possible to stand up straight.

Sort of anecdotal, but as soon as I started deadlifting I noticed an immediate improvement in standing posture.

It makes perfect sense, but it's worth noting that there are plenty of safer exercises for beginners that will improve core and posterior chain. Think glutes bridges, dead bugs, planks, Pallof press, etc.

Some people jump straight to the big compounding lifts (because they are amazing for building strength) with no guidance from a trainer or much care for their form. You deadlift or squat heavy wrong and it's extremely easy to injure yourself or do more harm than good.

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#14
post #5

I feel like the Wim Hof method ought to be mentioned here. It is imo the fastest and most direct route to understanding what this article is talking about.

Agreed. His recent Impact Theory interview [1] is worth watching, as is his free mini class. Some pretty incredible claims, but underneath the possible exaggerations, I believe there is enough substance to help people out.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM6WKeZ43s4

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#15
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sort of anecdotal, but as soon as I started deadlifting I noticed an immediate improvement in standing posture.

It makes perfect sense, but it's worth noting that there are plenty of safer exercises for beginners that will improve core and posterior chain. Think glutes bridges, dead bugs, planks, Pallof press, etc. Some people jump straight to the big compounding lifts (because they are amazing for building strength) with no guidance from a trainer or much care for their form. You deadlift or squat heavy wrong and it's extreme…

This is FUD, basically.

Yes, don’t start squatting and deadlifting without learning how to do it properly.

Yes, start light, you only have one spine and two knees.

No, it is not “extremely easy” to injure yourself if you show a modicum of good sense and avoid max lifting.

I agree with GP that squats and deadlifts will improve posture in a relatively short period of time. They are among the best exercises, period, for improving health and vitality, while being objectively less risky than, say, jogging.

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#16
post #2

Standing up straight isn't as easy as it sounds. For a lot of desk workers you're going to have to fix your tight hamstrings, abnormal pelvic tilt, and weak abdominal muscles before it will be possible to stand up straight.

A great book that will help with posture, including fixing pelvic tilt, is 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back by Esther Gokhale [1].

The author traveled around the world and looked through history to find out if we always had such terrible posture. It turns out that industrialized societies put a large emphasis on good posture up until the early 20th century. Even today, great posture can be found in less-industrialized cultures.

The Gokhale method has been a game-changer for many, even though it flies in the face of a lot of modern theories about designing furniture and "good" posture. I've personally met people with arthritis and lower back problems who were able to reduce pain and prevent further damage with this book.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Pain-Free-Back-Solutions-Should...

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you say abnormal pelvic tilt? Is that common? (I literally just got a massage where the bodyworker told me my hip was tilted majority, so it’s a stricking thing to read here...)

What massage was this?

Myofascial

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#18

I've been experimenting with mouth taping recently. When I'm able to use it effectively it does result in a much more restful sleep and my blood pressure seems to be lower the next day. I believe that the lowered blood pressure is due to the enhanced nitric oxide absorbed (it's produced in the sinuses). Unfortunately I'm frequently congested so it's difficult to do this without the use of a decongestant.

You may want to explore using a neti pot for that.

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#19
I had a nasal problem that I didn’t know about until I tried breath right strips. Wearing those things was life changing for me. I felt like a different person and honestly can’t believe I spent my entire life not realizing I had a problem.

Eventually got it fixed permanently, but yea...breathing is huge.

EDIT: The problem I had was called Nasal Valve Collapse. It’s something that happens in much older people, but essentially if I inhaled hard through my nose my nostrils collapsed so I’d have to breath through my mouth. It made aerobic exercise very difficult, taking deep breaths in general too.

I discovered how big of a deal it was when I tried on of those 9 Round gyms in my early 30s. The 1st round is jump rope and it tore my throat up. I was so exhausted after 3 minutes of jump rope that the rest of the workout was basically awful. I came back the next week (my throat was really sore for a week) with a Breathe Right strip on to see if it helped. I did the whole workout, jump rope included, like it was nothing.

After I saw the difference, I tried sleeping in them and woke up more alert than I had in recent memory. Great night sleep. Then eventually, I tried just wearing one all day when I was working from home and it was significant by the end of the day.

There was a point where I just realized that I felt so much better wearing them that I was literally wearing them all the time, including in the office.

Eventually I decided to visit an E.N.T. who diagnosed me and gave me a couple of surgical options...which were both kinda scary and didn’t have great success rate. I visited another to get a 2nd opinion and he was confident that it could be fixed with a slightly modified septoplasty.

I ended up doing the surgery and I’ll go ahead and tell you, the recovery is awful...but it worked. I still see a marginal benefit from using a Breathe Right but I probably have 70% of the improvement all the time from where I was before.

Re: Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

#20
post #2

Standing up straight isn't as easy as it sounds. For a lot of desk workers you're going to have to fix your tight hamstrings, abnormal pelvic tilt, and weak abdominal muscles before it will be possible to stand up straight.

Why do you say abnormal pelvic tilt? Is that common? (I literally just got a massage where the bodyworker told me my hip was tilted majority, so it’s a stricking thing to read here...)

The book "8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back" talks all about it and has a long-term plan on how to address it for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Pain-Free-Back-Solutions-Should...

Post reply on HN