Better Diaphragmatic Breathing to Relieve Your Back Pain – Tests and Exercises
Watch the Video: Learn How Breathing Affects Your Back Pain
How Your Breathing Habits May Be Causing Back Pain
Many people don’t realize that the way they breathe can contribute to chronic back pain. Shallow breathing patterns—where you primarily use your chest instead of your diaphragm—can create excessive tension in the muscles of the lower back.
If you tend to stay in an extended (arched) position, this can compress the muscles around the back of your ribcage, leading to tightness and discomfort. Since the nervous system plays a role in muscle tension, shallow breathing can also keep your body in a constant state of fight-or-flight, making it harder to relax and relieve pain.
In this guide, you'll learn how to assess your breathing patterns and practice two simple exercises to improve diaphragmatic breathing and release tension in your lower back.
Test: Do You Breathe Shallowly?
Before diving into the exercises, let’s check if your breathing habits might be contributing to your back pain.
The Breath-Hold Test
Take a normal breath in through your nose.
Exhale naturally through your nose.
Pinch your nose and hold your breath.
Hold your breath until you feel the first strong urge to breathe again (e.g., swallowing, throat tightening, or a slight air hunger).
Check your time and compare your result:
25+ seconds: You likely have good breathing patterns.
20 seconds or less: You may be breathing too shallowly, contributing to back tension.
If your breath-hold time is less than 20 seconds, practicing deep, controlled breathing can help calm your nervous system and reduce chronic muscle tension in your lower back.
Exercise 1: Supine Diaphragmatic Breathing
This exercise will train your diaphragm and help shift your nervous system toward a rest-and-digest state, relieving tension in your back muscles.
How to Do It:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Tilt your pelvis backward slightly, pressing your lower back into the floor.
Place your hands on your ribcage to feel the movement as you breathe.
Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your ribcage outward and slightly upward (not just your belly).
Exhale slowly through pursed lips, activating your side abs (obliques) while keeping your front abs relaxed.
Repeat for 5-7 deep breaths, keeping the movement slow and controlled.
Key Focus:
Expand the ribcage in all directions, not just forward.
Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout the movement.
Make the exhale longer than the inhale to encourage relaxation.
Perform 2-3 rounds daily to improve breathing mechanics and reduce back tension.
Exercise 2: Wall-Supported Breathing for Rib Expansion
This exercise enhances posterior rib expansion, improving overall spinal alignment and reducing muscle tightness.
How to Do It:
Stand with your back against a wall and step your feet about a foot away from it.
Tilt your pelvis backward, so your lower back is pressed against the wall, but your glutes do not touch the wall.
Reach your arms forward, keeping your shoulders low and relaxed.
Inhale deeply through your nose, focusing on expanding the back of your ribcage.
Exhale slowly through pursed lips, maintaining pressure against the wall with your lower back.
Repeat for 5-7 slow breaths.
Key Focus:
Avoid arching your lower back off the wall.
Ensure your shoulder blades do not touch the wall to emphasize back expansion.
Keep the breath slow and controlled to shift into a relaxed state.
Perform this exercise 2-3 times daily for the best results.
Why These Exercises Work
They Reduce Back Tension – By engaging your diaphragm instead of relying on shallow chest breathing, these exercises help relieve compression in the lower back muscles.
They Improve Postural Stability – Expanding the back of the ribcage helps correct overarched posture, reducing strain on the spine.
They Calm the Nervous System – A longer exhale phase activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you relax and lower stress-induced muscle tightness.
How Often Should You Practice?
For long-term relief, integrate these exercises into your daily routine:
Morning and night: To reset breathing patterns.
Before workouts: To improve movement mechanics.
During stressful moments: To activate relaxation and release tension.
Final Thoughts
If your back pain is linked to poor breathing habits, improving diaphragmatic function can reduce chronic tension and enhance overall posture. With consistent practice, you’ll notice less discomfort and better mobility in your spine and ribcage.
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