Has tucking my belly in messed up my breathing?

[hearthstone25]

This may sound like a stupid question but I think it may be a factor in my shortness of breath or lack of ability to breathe right.

A few years ago I weighed 180 but I ran into a huge stress period and over a very crappy period of time I gained 50 lbs.

I've always been a nervous wreck when it comes to things like my looks so basically 24/7 I sucked in my belly, which was huuuge because I also drank alot of beer in that time, for about 2 years. I would tuck it in as tight as i could so my chest would flare out and it looked like there was no fat. I would do it even when I was alone because i wanted to hide my fatness to myself.

The entire day of tucking in my belly hard as i could and breathing through my chest makes me wonder if that has to do with me not breathing normal.

Ive lost some weight. Im down to 210 but i still have some big belly issues so I still do the tucking in alot.

I notice when I'm laying down on my back in bed(not tucking in at this very moment) my chest moves alot while my belly doesnt move at all. I don't know if thats normal or what.

Not breathing normally 24/7 but passing every single test they throw out at me is really annoying. I need help :(

[Catherine S]

When you say tests, do you mean measuring lung capacity? You can't damage your lungs by holding in your stomach so tests would show normal, but it would restrict your breathing as the diaphram sits above the stomach and if this is being compromised then you would feel like your breathing is shallower. This is something that happens to very pregnant women as the womb pushes the stomach up which affects the position of the diaphram against the lungs. It just means you're not filling your lungs up to capacity is all. Its a wonder you haven't got a stomach like a washboard with all that holding in of the muscles!

ISB x

[hearthstone25]

I probably do have abs under this fat because of this lol

Ya My lungs are fine.

The breathing is 24/7 and only noticeable when Im not doing anything, like I can do a 2 hour workout and not be on the ground suffocating but when im just sitting or laying down its noticeable.

Its weird i just noticed how the tucking thing has become a part of me. While Im typing this i realized i was tucking in my belly even though im in bed not around anybody and was just not tucking in to check to see how i breathed.

But anyway my doctor says its anxiety but the breathing issue is constant so I don't get it.

It may not physically damage anything but maybe I dont know how to breathe right anymore because of years of doing that?

[Mindknot]

I do this too, and have also been thinking the same thing about my breathing. I find it super hard to relax my stomach and take normal breaths, then when I try to, like in yoga or to stop a panic attack, I over exaggerate it and find it even harder. I think you do need to retrain your breathing (me too) but need to relax first to make it work :-/ I've technically lost weight lately, but I feel like I must be fatter because sucking in feels less hard work - possibly abs are stronger, I don't know... either way, I'm glad you've posted about this, it's definitely tied in to the way/things I've been feeling lately. Still trying to figure it out though.

[Catherine S]

You're spot on hearthstone, in that its become such a habit after so long that its altered your normal breathing pattern. Perhaps if you try to do some breathing exercises it might reverse the issue and relax your muscles. At least you're more aware of it now so can maybe do something to break the habit. The fact that its not so noticable when you work out just means that you are using your lungs in the right way at those times, filling them up without compromise, so the deep breathing will allow your lungs to function normally if you get what I mean.

ISB x