Find Peace of Mind with 3-Part Yogic Breathing

Yogic breathing, also known as pranayama, is a controlled breathing technique that utilizes rhythm and repetition to achieve inner calm and lower stress levels. Consciously channeling the body’s natural cycle of inhalation/exhalation can have both immediate and long-term benefits, supporting physical, mental, and emotional health. Research shows that deep breathing can positively impact lung function, pain management, and digestion, as well as lower stress levels, improve focus, and help regulate emotion.
There are many types of deep breathing techniques (you may already be familiar with a few), each with its own utility and advantages. Three-part yogic breathing requires special attention to the intake of air and the expansion of the diaphragm, resulting in a deeper, fuller inhalation. This technique is well-suited for both beginners and those with more experience with deep breathing exercises. Use it for when you’re feeling tense, unfocused, or depleted. Here’s how to get started. 

Step 1: Preparation

Find a comfortable position. You can be standing, lying, or sitting. Place your right hand on your naval and your left hand across your chest. Now, close your eyes and breathe gently for 1-2 minutes, increasing awareness with each breath. 

Step 2: Focus on the Diaphragm 

After your lungs are warm, take a deep inhale through your nose, allowing the breath to fill the diaphragm and cause the lower belly to rise and expand fully. As you exhale through your nose, contract your abdominal muscles and draw in your belly toward your spine. Try to expel as much air from your lungs as possible, but be careful not to strain your abdominals or obliques.  

Step 3: Add Thoracic Breathing 

Repeat Step 2 with an added focus on the thoracic region or ribcage. Take a deep inhalation through your nose and channel this air into the ribcage so that it’s fully expanded. When you exhale, squeeze the air out of your ribcage and belly until they are empty. 

Step 4: Put It All Together 

Now, as you inhale through your nose, let your abdomen expand, followed by your ribcage, and finally, your upper chest around the pectoral muscles. As you exhale through the nose, remember to expel the air in reverse order, starting with your upper chest, then ribcage, and then the belly. The entire sequence should be cycled through around 10-15 times in a row per day. 

Performing yogic breathing will immediately help oxygenate the blood and improve circulation, but more importantly, it will physically and mentally ground you in the moment. After a few cycles, the process of inhalation and exhalation will be second nature. Practice makes perfect. 

From Kitchen Countertops to Community Classes: Easy Ways to Stay Strong in Decatur

Moderate resistance training helps strengthen bones, manage weight, and improve posture, sleep, mood, and endurance. The challenge is that fitting it in isn’t always easy — especially when you need to get dinner on the table.

The good news is that you don’t need a gym to fit in a workout; you’ve got all the equipment you need right in your home kitchen. Even a brief kitchen workout can help you maintain a consistent fitness regimen that you can later expand upon. And you might be surprised at just how effective some of these simple moves can be.

Kitchen Workouts You Can Try Today

• Countertop pushups target your triceps, chest, and upper back. Face the counter, place hands shoulder-width apart, step feet backward into a plank, then slowly lower and push back up.
• Stove squats work your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, interlace fingers behind your head, and squat as close to a 90-degree angle as possible before rising back up.
• Lateral pan raises strengthen your back and shoulders. Hold a pan at your side with palms facing in, then slowly raise it to shoulder height and lower. Switch hands after each set.
• Forearm plate lifts target hard-to-reach forearms. Hold a small plate, raise your arm to shoulder level with a bent elbow, and move your wrist up and down. Switch hands after each set. (If you feel the burn, you’re doing it right!)

Even a short round of these exercises can make a difference in strength and energy — no gym required.

Take the Next Step With Decatur Parks & Recreation

Once you’ve built some momentum at home, consider joining a Decatur Parks & Recreation class to keep the routine going strong. We offer a variety of programs that help build strength, flexibility, and balance in fun, supportive environments, including:

• Senior Functional Exercise classes that focus on safe, effective strength-building
• Tai Chi/Qigong for balance, relaxation, and gentle movement
• Aerobic Dance and Group Exercise classes to keep your energy up while connecting with others

Whether you’re squeezing in countertop pushups while dinner simmers or joining neighbors for a class at one of our centers, fitness in Decatur is always within reach.

Explore upcoming classes and programs in our October-December Playbook.

5 Easy Ways to Take Your Move It Monday Exercises Indoors

The holiday season makes exercising a bit more difficult: it’s cold, you’re on the road, there’s cookies everywhere…but that doesn’t mean you need to temporarily abandon your fitness routine. In fact, there are many ways to stay active during the holidays that don’t involve going outside at all.

A home workout has tons of benefits, like saving you time and money and giving you more privacy and flexibility. Plus, a home workout is also a great way to involve your family and friends. So when the turkey is in the oven and the football game is on commercial break, try fitting in a few minutes of movement. You’ll be surprised at how good it can make you feel.

This Monday, learn all the different ways you can work out indoors with our list of low-impact exercise ideas appropriate for all ages and ability levels.

Indoor Walking

Up your step count with some indoor walking. Try going through the living room, up and down stairs, or taking a few laps in your home or apartment hallway. Not at home? Not a problem. When you’re out getting groceries for the holiday meal or at the mall picking up gifts, try going around the store a couple extra times for extra cardio.

Yoga

Yoga is a great activity during the holidays for a few reasons: it keeps you active, calms you down, and gives kids something to do. Explore some of these family yoga sessions, or carve out your own time for self-care with few minutes of simple chair yoga.

Kitchen Workouts

Preparing for the holiday festivities typically requires a lot of kitchen time, but when your vegetables are roasting in the oven or your sauce is thickening on the stovetop, you’ll have a few minutes to sneak in a quick kitchen workout. Counter-top pushups, stove squats, and lateral pan raises can give you a pretty thorough full-body workout.

Habit Stack

The idea behind habit stacking is simple: add a new behavior to your daily schedule by “stacking it” on top of an existing habit. So, if you’re making coffee in the morning, do a few sets of jumping jacks while it brews; or if you’re watching television as a family, do a couple of push-ups each commercial break . The possibilities are endless.

Body weight exercises

Bodyweight exercises, also known as calisthenics, are beneficial to people of all ability levels and can be done inside with no equipment and very little time – which is at a premium during the holidays. Check out these useful bodyweight exercises that you can do anywhere.

For more ways to fit in fitness at home, check out these 7 ways to get fit without a gym.