Breathing Techniques

Motor Equivalence

People can achieve the same breathing task using different strategies of muscle activation

Clavicular Breathing

AKA “upper chest” breathing - not efficient - requires muscles in neck region, leads to tension on the larynx

How do we inhale during clavicular breathing?

Using diaphragm and accessory chest + shoulder muscles

How do we exhale during clavicular breathing? Is it beneficial for speech?

Gravity - it pushes down on the shoulders, reducing volume of the lungs and pushing air out; harder to make exhalation long enough for speech

Thoracic breathing

AKA “lower chest” breathing

How do we inhale during thoracic breathing?

contraction of diaphragm and external intercostal muscles; very little movement of upper chest, expansion of lower chest

how do we exhale during thoracic breathing?

caused by muscle relaxation and contraction of the internal intercostal muscles

Which is more efficient: thoracic or clavicular breathing and why?

Thoracic breathing is more efficient because it allows for antagonistic muscle activity

Muscles often act in pairs called _______ and __________

agonists, antagonists

Agonists _____ the movement

cause

Antagonists _______ the movement

oppose

Abdominal Breathing

AKA “belly” breathing

How do we inhale during abdominal breathing?

Contraction of the diaphragm muscle and relaxation of the abdominal muscles

How do we exhale during abdominal breathing?

the abdominal muscles are used to push the contents of the abdomen back in and the diaphragm muscle back up - belly comes back in towards the spine

Which two muscles act as an antagonistic muscle pair?

Diaphragm and abdominal muscles

What is balanced breathing, or appoggio?

combo of thoracic and abdominal breathing

how do we inhale during balanced breathing?

contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles

How do we exhale during balanced breathing?

internal intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles contract to control the exhalation

Which breathing method gives us the most control and why?

balanced breathing, bc we have antagonistic muscle activity in the chest and belly

Breath support vs breath control

breath support: the power supply for speech, involves muscles of inhalation and exhalation, controlling the pressure of air coming from the lungs

breath control: the efficiency of voicing, involves muscles of larynx to valve air coming from the lungs, controlling airflow through the glottis

balanced breathing has antagonism between what muscles?

diaphragm-abdominal and external intercostal-internal muscles