Diaphragmatic breathing

If you have any breathing problems, such as asthma or obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) you should speak with your doctor before doing any breathing exercises.

Practise breathing using your diaphragm 4 or 5 times each day:

Sit in a chair or lie down comfortably. Put one palm on your upper chest and the other over your stomach. Your lower hand should be pushed out first when you breathe in. Breathe out fully - and then breathe out a little more.

With practise you'll find you can do this by drawing in your abdomen. Pause for 2-4 seconds. Allow the air to flow naturally into your lungs again.

Slowly repeat the above several times.