Ep 23 - How You Breathe Matters More Than You Think

Pain Free Living

Breathing is something we do around 20,000 times a day, but most of us never stop to consider how it might be affecting our health.

In this episode of the Pain Free Living podcast, your hosts, Bob Allen, an osteopath since 2011, and Claire Elsby, a therapy coach, take a deep dive into the science and simple power of how you breathe, not just how often. You’ll find out why nasal breathing is so important for being at your best, from improving oxygen uptake and supporting your immune system to boosting sleep quality and protecting oral health.

We explore the many issues linked to chronic mouth breathing — including fatigue, brain fog, poor posture, dental problems, and even behavioural changes in children. If you’ve been breathing through your mouth without thinking about it, don’t worry — awareness is the first step, and change is possible.

Claire discusses the link between breathing and mental health. She shares easy-to-use breathwork techniques that will help calm your nervous system, lower stress levels, and improve your emotional resilience. These tools are ideal for anyone dealing with anxiety or simply looking for more calm in a busy world.

This is a must-listen for anyone curious about how such a basic function can have such a wide-reaching effect on your body and mind. Whether you're new to breathwork or keen to optimise your daily routine, this episode will leave you breathing easier — literally.

Key Takeaways:

1. Nasal breathing boosts oxygen absorption, filters allergens, and supports the immune system.
2. Mouth breathing is linked to fatigue, poor sleep, and long-term health issues.
3. Diaphragmatic breathing is key to efficient and relaxed respiration.
4. Mindful breathwork helps regulate the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
5. You can retrain your breathing habits — and your health will thank you for it.

If you want to find out more about your nervous system, this is the place to look https://youtu.be/WUesY4Zx6oM

This link will take you to more on Jeff Craig, the Breathwork expert that Clare referred to in this podcast https://breatharmy.com/

A bit more info on Bob and Clare

You can find out more about Clare here https://www.clareelsby.com/

This is the place to find out more about Bob and why he became an osteopath https://bit.ly/BobsOsteoStory

Sign up for his very popular Monthly Pain Free Living newsletter here https://bit.ly/PFL_newsletter_signup

If you want to follow Bob on social media, this is the place for you https://linktr.ee/Painfreeliving