Enhancing Health and Productivity Through Simple Breathing Techniques
Deep Breathing Exercises (DBE), encompassing various techniques like Pranayama, diaphragmatic breathing, and abdominal breathing, offer significant benefits in the workplace (Bruton et al., 2011; Jayawardena et al., 2020). These techniques vary in their specifics, such as breathing frequency, the balance between inhalation and exhalation, and whether nose or mouth breathing is used. The duration and timing of these exercises also differ (Bruton et al., 2011).
Current research on DBE presents a diverse range of study designs, reflecting the complexity of accurately capturing their health benefits. Despite this, there is growing evidence that DBE can positively impact health by reducing blood pressure and psychological stress, potentially leading to increased productivity and reduced sick leave (Zaccaro et al., 2018; Chaddha et al., 2019).
One of the advantages of DBE is its accessibility, especially compared to traditional exercise barriers like lack of energy, health limitations, and time constraints (Booth, Bauman, Owen, Gore, 1997; Zunft et al., 1999; Baillot et al., 2021; Gee et al., 2012). Implementing DBE in the workplace can address many of these barriers, though challenges like lack of knowledge and motivation still need to be tackled for broader adoption. Strategies to overcome these challenges will be explored in subsequent sections of this article.
Source: Deep breathing exercise at work: Potential applications and impact, by Dallin Tavoian and Daniel H. Craighead, Frontiersin