This is a ‘quick-reading’ article – I try to keep it short-ish, to-the-point, and in a reading format that skimming feels good. Enjoy.
When I hear people say “I breathe just fine,” I believe them!
“Just fine.”
That’s a low bar, though….
If you’re training for hiking, endurance, or high altitude—and especially if you’re doing it later in life—how you breathe matters just as much as how much you train.
Because how well you breathe has an impact on how efficient your time spent in training is.
And one of the most common issues I see isn’t fitness or even lung capacity. It’s something more basic:
Your breathing is happening in the wrong place.
In my world, we call this Location of Movement (LOM). And if the movement from your breathing lives mostly in your chest, neck, or shoulders, it’s quietly costing you efficiency, endurance, and margin—long before your legs give out.
This article is about fixing that.
The Misunderstanding: “Belly Breathing” Isn’t the Goal
Let’s clear something up right away.
Diaphragmatic breathing is not about sticking your belly out like a proud Thanksgiving turkey.
That’s a side effect—not the underlying mechanism.
Your diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that sits beneath your lungs and above your abdominal organs. When it contracts, it moves downward, creating negative pressure that draws air into the lungs. When it relaxes, air flows back out.
[insert picture of diaphragm]
That’s breathing.
What most adults do instead is:
- Lift the ribcage upward
- Tense the neck and shoulders
- Pull air in shallow and fast
- Let accessory muscles do the work
This is inefficient. You’re using muscles not designed to do your breathing, do your breathing.
The problem is illuminated under load, going uphill, and at altitude.
Why Chest-Dominant Breathing Becomes a Problem (Especially as We Age)
Remember when you were a kid and your doctor held the stethoscope to your heart and said, “Take a deep breath!”?
[Your shoulders shoot upward, then drop….]
Well, I’m here to tell you: THIS IS NOT A DEEP BREATH.
A breath that moves 360º circumferentially…. Is.
And that doesn’t require your shoulders.
Earlier in life, you can muscle through poor mechanics.
You recover faster. You tolerate inefficiency better. You don’t pay for mistakes immediately.
Later on? The bill arrives faster.
What I see repeatedly in hikers and climbers in their 50s and beyond:
- Tighter rib cages
- Underactive diaphragms
- Overactive accessory breathing muscles
- Early breathlessness that feels like poor fitness
But isn’t.
Chest breathing increases the cost of breathing. That means:
- More oxygen goes to breathing muscles (than is actually needed)
- Less oxygen is available for legs
- Heart rate rises faster
- Stress response kicks in earlier
At altitude—where air pressure is lower—this inefficiency gets magnified.
Location of Movement: Why ‘Where You Breathe’ Matters
In the Recal Breath Index (RBI), Location of Movement is one of the first things we assess.
Why?
Because you can have:
- Good lungs
- Decent VO₂ max
- Solid training history
…and still struggle if your diaphragm isn’t doing its share of the work.
Proper diaphragmatic breathing:
- Reduces unnecessary upper-body tension
- Improves ventilation efficiency
- Enhances oxygen exchange in the lower lungs
- Lowers the energetic cost of breathing
It’s not about breathing more.
It’s about breathing more efficiently.
Why Common Breathing Advice Falls Short
Most generic advice sounds like:
- “Take deep breaths”
- “Breathe slowly”
- “Relax your shoulders”
Not wrong. Just incomplete.
Without load, feedback, and specificity, breathing drills become vague relaxation exercises. Helpful for stress, sure—but not enough to rewire mechanics or strengthen the diaphragm.
If you want diaphragmatic breathing to hold up:
- Under pack weight
- On steep grades
- At 14,000+ feet
You need to train it like a muscle.
The Diaphragm Is a Muscle (And It Can Be Weak)
This part surprises people.
The diaphragm can fatigue (even if we don’t feel it much)
The diaphragm can underperform.
The diaphragm can be trained.
When it’s weak or poorly coordinated, your body compensates by:
- Breathing faster
- Using neck and chest muscles
- Increasing perceived effort
- Triggering stress responses earlier
The Foundation Exercise: Hook-Lying Diaphragmatic Breathing
This is one of the most effective ways to fix Location of Movement because it removes distractions and forces the right muscles to work.
What Is Hook-Lying?
It’s a body position –
You lie on your back.
Feet flat on the ground.
Knees bent at about 90 degrees.
This position:
- Reduces postural demands
- Limits accessory muscle use
- Makes it easier to feel diaphragmatic movement
Think of it as taking gravity and ego out of the equation.
How to Perform Hook-Lying Diaphragmatic Breathing
Setup
- Lie on your back
- Knees bent, feet flat
- Face, neck, shoulders relaxed
- Place resistance on your lower belly and rib cage
(Buteyko Belt, resistance band, light weight, or even a heavy book)
(if you want MORE resistance – you can use ‘the dumbbell for your diaphragm’ – the SportsMask)
The Movement
- Inhale forcefully and quickly
- Feel your belly and lower ribs expand against resistance – hopefully 360º around
- Let the exhale happen passively
- Do not force air out
- Start each inhale from a neutral lung position
Each strong inhale = one rep.
Yes—this is strength training.
No—this is not a meditation.
Progressions: Adding Air Resistance
Once you’ve built basic control, you can layer in:
- The SportsMask for air resistance
- One-nostril breathing
- Increased physical resistance
Now you’re training:
- Strength
- Coordination
- Control under restriction
Which is exactly what uphill hiking at altitude demands.
Why This Works (Physiology, Not Vibes)
This exercise:
- Strengthens the diaphragm
- Improves rib cage mobility
- Reinforces proper movement patterns
- Reduces reliance on accessory muscles
- Improves breathing efficiency under load
Translation: You breathe better when it actually matters.
How This Shows Up on the Trail
Athletes who fix their Location of Movement often report:
- Slower breathing at the same pace
- Lower heart rate on climbs
- Less “air hunger” early on
- Better control during hard pushes
- More composure at altitude
Not because they got fitter, but because they stopped wasting oxygen.
Why Diagnostics Matter Before More Effort
If you don’t know your limiter, you’ll train the wrong thing.
Some people need: Lung capacity work
Others need: CO₂ tolerance
Others need: Nervous system regulation
LOM problems exist in plain sight – start noticing where your own movement happens.
That’s why we assess first—then prescribe.
FAQs
What is the belly breathing mechanism?
It’s diaphragmatic contraction creating downward movement, expanding the lower lungs and abdomen—not shallow chest expansion. This happens 360º around your low ribcage area.
What’s the difference between belly breathing and diaphragmatic breathing?
Belly movement is a result. The diaphragm is the source of the movement.
What muscles are used in diaphragmatic breathing?
Primarily the diaphragm, assisted by your external intercostals. Notably: not neck or shoulder muscles.
How does belly breathing affect oxygen levels?
It improves ventilation efficiency and oxygen exchange in the lower lungs (where your alveoli are concentrated).
Is holding your breath for one minute good?
Context matters. Breath-holds are a sign of CO2 tolerance, which is a different mechanism to assess for.
Here, we’re talking about mechanics, and those come first.
The Takeaway
If hiking feels harder than it should…
If you’re fit but feeling out-of-breath…
If altitude exposes cracks fast…
Notice where you’re breathing.
Fix your Location of Movement.
Strengthen the diaphragm.
Then let the rest of your fitness actually show up.
Because when breathing works the way it’s supposed to…. everything uphill gets a little easier.