Incorrect breathing can cause serious illness in many individuals.
Written by Susan Parker | Updated on June 22, 2025
Reviewed by Susan Parker
11 sources cited
Consider the possibility of unlocking a hidden superpower—one that is so fundamental yet often overlooked, capable of transforming your energy, mental clarity, and overall health. It's a daily activity that you may not pay much attention to, but what if you've been doing it incorrectly all this time? Dr. Sheldon Saul Hendler, a pioneering figure in the medical field, argues that improper breathing is not a minor mistake—it's a silent crisis affecting millions of people. The good news? Making a simple adjustment to your breathing technique could lead to improved health, a longer life, and better emotional balance. But why is this basic aspect so widely misunderstood? The answer might surprise you.
Overview
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Breathing Incorrectly Can Impact Your Health – Many individuals breathe too shallowly, depriving their bodies of oxygen and contributing to issues like stress, fatigue, immune system dysfunction, and even heart problems.
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Scientific Studies Support Proper Breathing – Research confirms that adopting correct breathing techniques can positively affect respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system functions, optimizing health and lifespan.
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Utilizing Abdominal Breathing as a Solution – Training yourself to breathe deeply using your diaphragm, rather than shallow chest breathing, can significantly improve oxygen delivery, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
This Easy Breathing Tip Could Transform Your Life—Here’s How
Many health professionals and fitness trainers emphasize that proper breathing is the foundation of good health. Not a surprising revelation, right? Dr. Sheldon Saul Hendler was advocating this concept three decades ago. Drawing from his experiences in treating even the most severely ill patients, he observed "remarkable advancements" and "amazing benefits" after correcting their breathing patterns. Dr. Hendler believed that oxygen deficiency is so widespread that it could be termed a hidden epidemic, and addressing it is "the single most important thing you can do to boost your health." The solution? Learning to breathe correctly. The advantages can be significant...
Associated with Pain and Stress
Why all the emphasis on breathing? I mean, it's a natural process we've been doing since birth, isn't it? Not quite. Many of us are not doing it right, and that's a significant issue. The late Dr. Hendler, a trailblazing scientist, medical professional, and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, underscored the importance of proper breathing. In his publication, The Oxygen Breakthrough, he mentions, "Do it correctly...and you're likely to experience high vitality, enhanced metabolism, good health, stamina, and longevity. "Do it incorrectly, and you might find yourself...struggling for breath, feeling lethargic, disheartened, and with compromised immunity."
New Studies Confirm It
In 2017, Australian researchers conducted a review involving healthy individuals, noting significant effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, and autonomic nervous systems simply by adjusting participants' breathing techniques. They concluded that their approach had the potential to enhance functions linked to health and longevity. In a recent study published in the journal Gait & Posture, researchers from Spain explored the effects of muscle tension on standing posture stability and fall risks. The authors highlighted the importance of breathing correctly, stating, "...breathing directly influences pain and stress management, and our findings emphasize the necessity to address the concerning issue that a considerable portion of the population may struggle with proper breathing." The Spanish researchers found that many young participants in their study had difficulty with abdominal breathing.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
The term “abdominal” points to the crux of the matter. Many individuals tend to breathe from the upper chest area, neglecting the abdominal region. This poses a challenge as the lower lungs contain the majority of small blood vessels responsible for transporting oxygen to cells. According to Dr. Hendler, breathing from the upper respiratory regions leads to an oxygen deficit, even when inhaling large amounts of air. This lack of oxygen disrupts blood chemistry, resulting in various disorders. These disorders may manifest as heart symptoms, angina, respiratory problems, digestive discomfort, anxiety, panic, depression, headaches, dizziness, seizures, increased vulnerability to infections, immune system dysfunction, sleep disturbances, and even hallucinations.
How to Practice Proper Breathing
While there are programs for breath-work and breathing retraining, you may not necessarily need them. Taking the time to concentrate on breathing correctly could be highly beneficial. Dr. Hendler outlines six simple exercises in his publication, but practicing just one regularly may be adequate to permanently transition from high to abdominal breathing. Here’s his recommended method. . . Lie down and position a heavy, hardcover book on your abdomen with the spine of the book facing upwards and barely touching the bottom of your ribcage. Keep your arms by your sides with palms facing up and eyes closed. Inhale slowly through your nose to raise the book as high as possible, then exhale through the nose to lower it as much as you can. Exhalation should be slower, about half longer than inhalation, with four to six complete breath cycles (inhale and exhale) per minute. Practice this twice daily for ten minutes each time, preferably in the morning and before going to bed. With consistency, diaphragmatic breathing will become second nature.
Synopsis
Many of us assume that breathing is automatic, assuming that we naturally do it correctly simply by being alive. However, Dr. Sheldon Saul Hendler, a respected medical expert, warned decades ago that oxygen deficiency resulting from incorrect breathing practices is a prevalent yet underestimated health issue. Recent research supports his claim, showing that shallow, high-chest breathing can contribute to stress, immune system challenges, and even cardiovascular problems. The key to optimal health? Abdominal breathing. By incorporating a simple breathing exercise into your daily regimen, you can retrain your body to breathe properly, unlocking a range of health benefits such as increased energy levels, enhanced metabolism, and improved emotional well-being.
