East DFW News

It is common for people to breathe through their mouth when exercising, but breathing through the nose, according to new studies, promotes better health and good posture, and it prevents injuries.

“I honestly think that we're starting to realize that breathing, and breathing through our nose, and how we breathe through our nose at night truly may have the biggest impact overall on our health,” Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told East DFW News. “I definitely see patients whose improved well-being has led to improved ability to think, to work. They feel more well-rested, and I think that that kind of goes back to appreciating the importance of the nose and the sinuses on breathing and how important that is.”

Trimble -- who provides comprehensive ear, nose and throat specialty care to patients in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area -- said studies have shown that there's an increased correlation of major depressive disorders with chronic sinusitis.  

Dr. Monty Trimble | Dallas Breathe Free

“People just don't feel good when they suffer from this condition, and it makes sense that that tends to get people down over time. Also the fact that people don't get it, doctors don't get it, friends don't get it, they don't understand also tends to push people down that pathway,” Trimble said. “Now, whether or not there's a genetic predisposition or other things that increase someone's risk that they're going to have that association together, I don't know, there may be. But I'm not surprised by the association.”

According to U.S. News and World Report, the way to get used to breathing through the nose while exercising is to push yourself until you feel the sensation of what researchers call “air hunger,” or breathlessness, and only challenge yourself as much as you can while maintaining nasal breathing.

This means slowing down significantly at first and being patient. This process can take anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on your fitness level and how much you are committed to it.

The athlete has to be able to find a comfortable rhythm, and this can take time. The more time the athlete can train in heart-rate zones while nasal breathing, the more likely that person is going to be a faster, more powerful athlete with a lesser effort.

“The more stress that people experience over time, the more likely they're going to develop something bad,” Trimble said. “Obviously, more stress is going to lead to things like an increased risk of cancer. Sleep apnea is an obvious condition that stresses out the body, and that isn't healthy for us. We're beginning to realize that the impact of breathing through our nose on our health is pretty significant."

If you'd like to evaluate your sinus or allergy symptoms and are thinking about seeing a doctor, please take the Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.