Sitting? Stop to Breathe: Deep Breathing and Extending the Body
Many of us spend hours sitting each day.
We sit while working, driving, eating, studying, watching television, using our phones, and resting. Sitting is not automatically harmful, but remaining in the same position for a long time can leave the body feeling compressed, stiff, or tired.
The head may move forward. The shoulders may round. The chest and abdomen may feel closed. The hips remain bent, and the lower back may settle into one position. Without realizing it, our breathing may also become smaller and more concentrated in the upper chest.
This is why I encourage people to occasionally stop, extend the body comfortably, and take a few slow, deep breaths.
It does not require special equipment. It is not a cure for pain or a replacement for medical care. It is simply an opportunity to change position, move the diaphragm and ribs, and give the body a break from prolonged sitting.
The Diaphragm Is More Than a Breathing Muscle
The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle located beneath the lungs. It attaches around the lower rib cage, sternum, and spine, separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.
During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts, descends, and becomes flatter. This increases space within the chest so air can enter the lungs. During a relaxed exhalation, the diaphragm releases and rises toward its resting dome shape.
People often describe deep breathing as “stretching the diaphragm.” Anatomically, it is more precise to say that deeper breathing allows the diaphragm to contract, descend, relax, and travel through a larger range than it may during small, shallow breaths.
That movement also affects the lower ribs and abdominal contents. It is one reason breathing should be considered part of core performance rather than something completely separate from posture and movement.
What Happens When We Sit in a Collapsed Position?
After sitting for a long time, people commonly begin to sink into the chair.
The pelvis may roll backward. The lower back may round. The chest may move downward toward the abdomen. The head may travel forward, and the shoulders may rotate inward.
This does not mean that slouching is dangerous or that everyone must sit perfectly upright. The body can tolerate many different positions. The problem is often not one particular posture—it is staying in that posture without enough variety.
A collapsed sitting position can change how the chest wall and abdomen have room to move. Research comparing upright and slouched sitting has found differences in respiratory function, although a single study cannot tell us that one posture causes everyone’s pain or breathing problems.
The practical message is simple: change positions regularly and give your body opportunities to move.
Extending the Body Does Not Mean Forcing It
When I talk about extending the body, I do not mean pulling the shoulders aggressively backward or creating a rigid military posture.
Extension should feel comfortable.
Imagine that the top of your head is gently moving upward. Allow the front of the body to have a little more space. Let the breastbone rise slightly without forcing the lower ribs forward. Keep the shoulders relaxed instead of pinning them together.
The goal is not to hold yourself perfectly straight. It is to move away from the position you have occupied for an extended period.
You are not trying to become taller than your natural height. You are allowing the body to return toward its available length instead of remaining compressed.
Sitting? Try This Breathing and Extension Break
This simple movement can be performed in a stable chair.
1. Place Your Feet on the Floor
Allow both feet to make comfortable contact with the ground. They do not have to be perfectly symmetrical, but you should feel supported.
If your feet do not reach the floor, place them on a stable support.
2. Notice Your Sitting Bones
Feel where your pelvis contacts the chair.
Without forcing anything, gently shift forward and backward until you find a position that feels balanced. Avoid sitting at the very front of the chair if that makes you feel unstable.
3. Extend Through Your Natural Height
Imagine the top of your head moving gently toward the ceiling.
Allow the trunk to lengthen. Let the breastbone float slightly upward while the shoulders remain soft. Do not arch the lower back aggressively or lift the chin.
Think length, not stiffness.
4. Place Your Hands Around the Lower Ribs
If comfortable, place your hands on the sides of your lower rib cage.
This is not to force the ribs outward. Your hands simply provide feedback so you can notice movement.
5. Inhale Slowly
Breathe in gently through the nose if that is comfortable.
As you inhale, notice whether the lower ribs expand forward, sideways, and perhaps slightly backward. Allow the abdomen to respond naturally instead of pulling it inward.
The shoulders should not need to rise dramatically.
6. Exhale Without Collapsing
Breathe out slowly and comfortably.
Allow the ribs and abdomen to return without pushing or squeezing. Try to maintain the gentle upward length of the spine instead of immediately collapsing toward your lap.
Repeat for three to five comfortable breaths.
Never force a deep breath. If you become dizzy, lightheaded, short of breath, or uncomfortable, return to normal breathing and stop the exercise.
Breathing and Extending Work Together
Extending the body can create a different environment for breathing. Deep breathing can then encourage movement through the diaphragm, lower ribs, abdomen, and surrounding tissues.
The two actions support each other:
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Extension creates space through the trunk.
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Inhalation encourages diaphragm and rib movement.
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Exhalation allows the body to soften.
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Repetition gives you a break from a sustained sitting position.
The purpose is not to hold a corrected posture for the rest of the day. It is to restore movement choices.
After several breaths, you can relax, stand up, walk briefly, or continue working in a different position.
The Diaphragm Is Part of Core Performance
Many people think the core means only the abdominal muscles. The functional core is more extensive.
It includes relationships among the:
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Diaphragm
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Abdominal wall
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Pelvic floor
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Deep spinal muscles
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Lower ribs
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Lumbar spine
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Pelvis and hips
The diaphragm participates in breathing and postural control. Research has documented coordinated activity between the diaphragm and abdominal muscles during movements that increase demands on the trunk.
This does not mean that taking a few deep breaths will automatically strengthen the entire core or correct every movement problem. It means breathing is one part of how the trunk manages movement and pressure.
When the body is constantly compressed in sitting, pausing to breathe and extend can help reconnect these areas through gentle movement.
What About the Neck and Shoulders?
When breathing becomes concentrated in the upper chest, muscles around the neck, clavicles, and upper ribs may contribute more to inhalation.
These accessory breathing muscles are supposed to assist when needed. However, someone who already experiences neck or shoulder tension may feel additional effort when every breath noticeably lifts the upper chest and shoulders.
Research has found associations between chronic neck pain and reduced respiratory muscle strength or pulmonary function. This does not prove that shallow breathing causes neck pain, but it supports considering breathing as one part of a broader picture.
A recent systematic review found possible short-term benefits from breathing exercises for persistent neck pain, but the certainty of the evidence was low. Breathing should therefore be considered a supportive strategy—not a guaranteed treatment.
When practicing seated breathing, allow the shoulders to remain relaxed. Focus less on taking the biggest possible breath and more on creating smooth movement through the lower ribs and abdomen.
Your Hips and Pelvis Need a Break Too
Sitting keeps the hips flexed and the pelvis supported by the chair. When we remain there for hours, standing can initially feel stiff or awkward.
After your three to five breaths, consider standing if it is safe for you.
Place your feet comfortably beneath you. Rise without rushing. Once standing, allow the body to lengthen again. Gently shift weight between the feet or take a short walk.
You do not need an aggressive stretch. The change from sitting to standing is already a change in demand through the hips, pelvis, spine, and core.
Frequent small changes may be more realistic than waiting until the body becomes very uncomfortable and then attempting one large stretch.
Make Breathing Breaks Part of Your Day
You do not need to set aside a long exercise session.
Try connecting the breathing break to something you already do:
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Before answering emails
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After finishing a meeting
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At a stop during a long drive
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Between clients
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Before eating lunch
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After using your phone
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When your neck or upper back begins to feel tired
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Before standing after prolonged sitting
Three comfortable breaths can become a reminder to notice your position, extend the body, and change how you are moving.
When Breathing Difficulty Requires Medical Care
Deep breathing exercises are not appropriate for every situation.
Seek medical attention for new or unexplained difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, blue or gray lips, severe dizziness, or breathing problems that begin suddenly or continue to worsen.
I am a licensed massage therapist, not a doctor. I do not diagnose breathing disorders, spinal conditions, or causes of pain. Anyone with a heart, lung, neurological, or other medical condition should follow the advice of their qualified healthcare professional.
Orthopedic Massage and the Breathing System
During an orthopedic massage session, I may observe how the ribs, abdomen, spine, pelvis, and shoulders move with breathing.
I may also use comfortable positioning and pain-free techniques around related muscular and fascial structures when appropriate and with the client’s permission.
This is not about forcing the diaphragm to release. It is about considering whether the breathing system is participating comfortably in the person’s overall movement pattern.
My approach remains individualized. I listen, assess, provide pain-free treatment, and reassess how the person moves and feels.
Sit, Extend and Breathe
Sitting is part of modern life. We do not need to fear it, but we should remember that the body benefits from movement and variety.
When you notice that you have been sitting for a long time:
Stop. Feel your feet. Extend through your natural height. Relax your shoulders. Take three slow breaths.
Let the diaphragm move. Let the ribs expand. Let the body soften during the exhale.
Then change positions and continue your day.
A small pause will not solve every physical problem, but it can give your body something valuable: an opportunity to move differently.
Orthopedic Massage Therapy
Steven Valenzuela, LMT
110 S Barton Street, Suite #6
Grapevine, Texas 76051
Text: 817-305-6548
Website: OmassageT.com
This article is for general educational purposes and is not medical advice. Massage therapy and breathing exercises do not diagnose, treat, or cure medical conditions. Consult an appropriate licensed healthcare professional regarding pain, breathing difficulty, or other health concerns.
written by Steven Valenzuela, LMT — Licensed Massage Therapist with 27 years of experience
