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Have you noticed that your ribs protrude more than they used to? A flared rib cage (AKA a rib flare) is easier to develop than you may think – and it’s nothing to ignore. If left unaddressed, rib flares lead to neck and back pain and may even cause further injury. Rib flares develop due to an underdeveloped Zone of Apposition, or ZOA, where the diaphragm and abdominal muscles meet. This happens for a variety of reasons, but shallow, poor breathing patterns are a huge contributor. Just like any muscle, the diaphragm weakens if you don’t use it. Nasal breathing not only properly engages the diaphragm, but it also activates our rest and digest response to help the body and mind de-stress. Moreover, the nose warms and filters the air we breathe. Our mouths, on the other hand, provide no filtration or humidification features for breathing. Moreover, mouth breathing places us in a stressed fight or flight state. The development of proper tongue posture is key when it comes to making the switch from mouth breathing to nasal breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises further assist with strong breathing patterns and a stable core. Mouth tape ensures nasal breathing while you sleep, which prevents open-mouth snoring and promotes quality rest.

No one likes the feeling of overheating at night. Heat is also known to disrupt your REM and slow-wave sleep cycles, leading to grogginess the next day. Thankfully, you can take steps to prevent overheating during sleep to achieve cool, summer rest. For starters, did you know that certain things you choose to consume increase your internal temperature? Spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol are all known to worsen the feeling of being too hot. Avoid these before bed to beat the heat! Freeze your socks, a water bottle, or a washcloth and apply the icy cold to certain pressure points to bring down your body heat. If freezing things doesn’t sound ideal, try to Egyptian Sleeping Method, which consists of dampening your sheets before bed. Opt for natural, breathable bedding rather than synthetic materials, which trap heat. Resist cuddling with your pet during hot months, as their body heat will increase yours. Finally, try a warm shower or beverage to raise and then rapidly lower your body temperature a few hours before bedtime.

Our bodies are intricate, intuitive machines. Our hearts beat, our immune systems fend off germs, and we breathe in and out all without having to think about it. However, some of us have habitually become dysfunctional breathers and, as a result, dysfunctional sleepers. If you’re breathing in and out of your mouth, you’re not helping your body. In fact, you’re doing more harm than good. Conversely, the nose is nature’s air filter and most effective snoring solution. Breathing through the nose at night keeps the airway from collapsing in on itself, unlike mouth breathing, which leads to airway obstruction and disruptful snoring. Nasal breathing helps the body operate at equilibrium by detecting harm in the environment, filtering out harmful particles from the air, and adding nitric oxide to each breath.

Everyone has a daily routine to keep their health in check. We shower, brush our teeth, take our medications and vitamins, and more. But what if your routine was missing something and you didn’t even know it? If you’re not giving your breath the attention it deserves, you may be unknowingly harming your body and mind. Mouth breathing causes numerous health risks, such as high blood pressure, poor oxygenation, and cavities. Nasal breathing not only prevents these risks, but offers multiple health benefits that can improve your quality of life and sleep patterns. Learning how to prevent mouth breathing is key to getting the best sleep of your life. It’s also one of the easiest ways to revamp your health. That’s why we’ve gathered all the reasons why mouth breathing prevention is important.

Although it sounds harmless, breathing through your mouth causes the body to work overtime. Many of us breathe through our mouths due to nasal congestion, a deviated septum, or small nostrils. No matter the cause, mouth breathing increases the risk for a large list of health conditions, such as heart disease, anxiety, chronic stress, tooth decay, and more. In contrast, nasal breathing helps the body (and brain) operate more efficiently than ever before. The benefits of nose breathing are seemingly endless. Nasal breathing helps to boost our immunity, improve cardiovascular health, enhance sleep quality, prevent snoring, and more. If you aren’t already a nasal breather, these five benefits of nose breathing just might convince you to become one.

There’s conflicting information about almost every trending health product out there. One week, a product is said to boost health, but may be criticized the next. Mouth tape seems like just another gimmick, but science shows it may actually improve your health. For starters, it promotes nasal breathing, the ideal way of breathing for optimal oxygenation. Mouth taping at night can lower your stress levels, boost immunity, and even improve your oral health by preventing cavities. Better yet, wearing tape on your mouth at night is essential for getting uninterrupted, snore-free sleep.

 There seems to be a new hack for almost everything. But what about a hack for breathing during running? Is it better to breathe through the nose or the mouth when running? Turns out, breathing through the nose while on a run is one of the best “hacks” for improving your performance and stamina. Research shows that it slows down respiratory rates and decreases the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide output. This allows the cells to oxygenate more efficiently, helping you run faster and harder for longer. The journey of making the switch from mouth breathing to nasal breathing takes practice. That said, mouth tape is the perfect tool to help you train your lungs just like you’ve been training your body. 

The latest exercise accessories on the market help us elevate our workouts and give us the edge we need to train harder. But what if the best “gadget” wasn’t a gadget at all? Best of all, it’s completely free: it’s your nose. Nasal breathing can help us push our bodies to the limit with lowered fatigue, faster recovery times, and injury prevention. Mouth breathing, on the other hand, harms our health and performance. By incorporating nasal breathing into your exercise regimine, you’ll oxygenate the body properly, eliminate stress hormones, and achieve peak fitness levels. It may take some getting used to, but switching from mouth breathing to nasal breathing is the secret weapon your fitness routine needs.

Breathing is an automatic process. Or is it? The way you breathe may be based on habit rather than necessity. If you breathe through your mouth, for example, you are causing more harm than good within your body. Nasal breathing, on the other hand, is how we were designed to breathe. Our sleep quality and health revolve around the nose. The nose produces nitric oxide, a miracle molecule that keeps our bodies functioning at their maximum efficiency. Nasal breathing during the day is achievable, but what about at night? Physical aids like mouth tape ensure that we can nasal breathe even while asleep, boost our health while we dream, and even prevent snoring!

Taping your mouth at night sounds like yet another health fad to roll your eyes at. However, the technique is actually backed by science, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. 

Guest post from Breathe with Georgie. Why the way you breathe could be causing your insomnia, bad morning breath and annoying night time trips to the loo!

The winter months are harsh and cold in more ways than one. Winter is the time of year when most of us get sick with a respiratory illness, the flu, or feel generally under the weather due to being stuck inside for so long. Thankfully, your nose is there to get you through the flu season.