What Are the Main Types of Breathing?
High breathing refers to what takes place primarily in the upper part of the chest and lungs, and involves raising the ribs, collarbone and shoulders. High breathing is shallow, and little air reaches the alveoli to enter into useable gaseous exchange. The upper lobes of the lungs are used, but these have only a small air capacity. Middle breathing involves mainly the middle parts of the lungs and is called thoracic or intercostal breathing; the ribs and chest expand sideways. Low breathing takes place primarily in the lower part of the chest and lungs. It consists mainly of moving the abdomen in and out, and changing the position of the diaphragm. Complete breathing involves the entire respiratory system. It includes portions of the lungs used in high, low and middle breathing, and expands the lungs so as to take in more air. This is the deepest breathing possible. Not only does one raise the shoulders, collarbone and ribs, as in high breathing, but the abdomen is expanded and the dia
