随身英语｜Breathing exercises

Struggling with insomnia? Worried by anxiety? The first piece of advice that you are likely to see is to try breathing exercises. From ancient yoga practitioners to modern health professionals, experts have made this recommendation. But how can simple breathing activities have such a significant effect on our mental and physical health?
与失眠作斗争？因焦虑而担忧？你可能会看到的第一条建议是尝试呼吸练习。从古代瑜伽练习者到现代健康专家，专家们都提出了这一建议。但是简单的呼吸活动怎么会对我们的精神和身体健康产生如此重大的影响呢？

Once we consider how essential oxygen is for life, it might seem obvious that focusing on this can help our health. Our nervous system instinctively regulates the flow of oxygen into our lungs. Possibly because of body image concerns, many people hold in their stomachs, taking shallow breaths. This can lead our body to increase our breathing rate to compensate.
一旦我们考虑到氧气对生命的重要性，关注这一点显然有助于我们的健康。我们的神经系统本能地调节氧气流入肺部。可能是出于对身体形象的考虑，许多人都憋着气，浅呼吸。这可以导致我们的身体增加呼吸频率来补偿。

Our breathing also gets faster when we're stressed or anxious. When this happens, our sympathetic nervous system triggers a fight-or-flight response. As well as affecting breathing, this increases our heart rate and produces adrenaline to prepare our muscles for action. Stress and anxiety can thus be linked with rapid breathing.
当我们感到压力或焦虑时，我们的呼吸也会变快。当这种情况发生时，我们的交感神经系统会触发战斗或逃跑反应。这不仅会影响呼吸，还会增加我们的心率，产生肾上腺素，让我们的肌肉为行动做好准备。因此，压力和焦虑可能与呼吸急促有关。

To recover from a threat, our parasympathetic nervous system can put our body into a rest-and-digest state allowing us to relax and be calm. In this state, breathing and heart rates slow. However, it appears that slow, deep breathing can also make this happen. It's also notable that when we focus on breathing techniques, we can be distracted from the issues that are causing us stress.
为了从威胁中恢复过来，我们的副交感神经系统可以让我们的身体进入休息和消化状态，让我们放松和冷静。在这种状态下，呼吸和心率减慢。然而，缓慢的深呼吸似乎也能使这种情况发生。同样值得注意的是，当我们专注于呼吸技巧时，我们可以从导致我们压力的问题上分散注意力。

Experts recommend using our diaphragm to inhale deeply, filling our lungs completely and then holding our breath for a few seconds before exhaling. Other recommended techniques include breathing through alternating nostrils. So next time you feel anxious or stressed, why not try some breathing techniques to help you relax?
专家建议使用我们的横膈膜深深吸气，完全充满我们的肺部，然后在呼气前屏住呼吸几秒钟。其他推荐的技巧包括交替鼻孔呼吸。所以下次你感到焦虑或压力时，为什么不尝试一些呼吸技巧来帮助你放松呢？

词汇表
insomnia 失眠
anxiety 焦虑，不安
breathing exercise 呼吸训练
oxygen 氧气
instinctively 本能地
flow 供应，流动
lung 肺，肺部
shallow （呼吸）浅的
breath 气息
breathing rate 呼吸频率
sympathetic nervous system 交感神经系统
fight-or-flight response 战斗或逃跑反应
rapid breathing 呼吸急促
parasympathetic nervous system 副交感神经系统
rest-and-digest state （身体的）“休息和消化” 状态
breathing technique 呼吸技巧
diaphragm （横）隔膜
inhale 吸气
hold someone's breath 屏住呼吸
exhale 呼气
nostril 鼻孔