How breathing works - Nirvair Kaur

Transcriber: tom carter Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Yishu Siow 校对人员: Tianchang Luo

We take a breath every few seconds.

我们每隔几秒就会进行一次呼吸。

Our life depends upon inhaling oxygen,

我们依靠吸入的氧气维持生命，

but we never think about how we breathe.

却很少去思考如何呼吸。

It just seems to happen automatically.

呼吸看起来就像自然发生一样。

How can something that seems so simple

这看似非常简单的事情，

be the key to keeping us alive?

如何成为维持生命的关键呢？

Breathing starts with the environment around us.

我们的呼吸始于周围的环境。

The air we breathe in, or inspire,

我们吸入或者呼出的空气，

has a mixture of gases including nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen,

是由氮气、二氧化碳及氧气 组成的混合体，

which is the most important for our survival.

其中氧气对于我们的生存最重要。

It enters our body through the nose and mouth,

它从口鼻进入我们的身体，

moves down into the pharynx, trachea and bronchial tubes,

通过咽部、气管、支气管，

and ultimately reaches the alveoli air sacs in the lungs.

最终抵达肺部里的小气囊—— 肺泡。

The alveoli use pressure to move oxygen and nutrients into the blood.

肺泡利用压力， 将氧分子及养份送到血液。

The diaphragm and intercostal muscles are a pumping system that facilitates this air exchange.

横膈肌、肋间肌组成一个帮浦系统， 协助气体交换。

How you breathe affects your energy level, especially when you are under physical or emotional stress.

呼吸方式会影响我们的心情， 尤其是面对外在压力、情绪压力的时候。

Think back to the last difficult test you had to take.

回想上一次参加大考的时候，

It's likely that as you became more nervous, the tension in your body increased,

随着紧张的感觉逐渐强烈， 你身体所受到的压力也变大了，

and your breathing quickly sped up.

接着你的呼吸速率也跟着加快。

The shallower our breath, the less oxygen that reaches our brain, and the harder it is to focus.

呼吸越浅，进入我们脑袋的氧气越少， 我们就越难专注。

What's our response to physical stress, like a fast-paced game of field hockey after school?

我们面对外在压力时有什么反应？ 例如放学后进行的紧凑球赛？

As we exert pressure on our bodies, the muscles require a great deal of energy and demand additional oxygen.

身体遭受到压力的时候， 肌肉群需要更多能量，氧需求量随之增加。

Our panting breath starts to kick in,

我们会开始变喘，

which creates pressure to draw in more air and oxygen to the body,

以制造更大的压力差， 好吸入更多的空气及氧气，

and regulates body temperature by allowing it to cool down naturally.

同时借由自然的方式 降低体温、调控体温。

These aren't the only times our breathing is affected or altered.

这不是影响或改变我们的呼吸形态的特例。

Think about the last time you got angry or emotional.

回想自己上次心情不好， 或是生气的时候。

Anger creates a metabolic reaction in the body,

怒气驱使我们的身体产生代谢反应，

which stresses it out and heats up our internal temperature.

让身体感受到压力，同时体内温度也会升高。

Have you ever seen anyone lose their cool?

你有见过发脾气的人吗？

Ultimately, if we're breathing under stress over long periods of time, there are consequences.

总归来说，长期处在压力状态下呼吸， 会带来一些后果。

When the cells of a body aren't getting the oxygen they need,

当身体的细胞得不到足够的氧气，

the nutrients available to the body decrease and toxins build up in the blood.

体内可用的养份会减少； 毒素会堆积在血液里。

It is thought that a hypoxic, or oxygen-poor environment, can increase cancerous cells.

缺氧性环境会助长癌化细胞。

The good news is that we can control our breath much more than we realize.

好消息是，我们比想像中更能控制呼吸。

This means we can increase both the quality and quantity of the breath.

这表示我们可以增进呼吸的次数与品质。

The science of breathing has been around for thousands of years,

这呼吸的科学，已经存在千年之久了，

from ancient yogis in India to respiratory therapists working with patients today.

印度古早的瑜伽练习者， 到今天在医院照顾病人的呼吸治疗师都知道。

Both would tell you that there are specific techniques that will help you improve your breathing.

他们一致认为， 我们可透过特殊技巧改善呼吸。

Breathing is all about moving air from a higher-pressure to a lower-pressure environment.

呼吸其实是气体从压力高的地方， 往压力低的地方流动。

More breath means more oxygen,

呼吸次数越多，吸入的氧气量增加

and ultimately a greater amount of nutrients that's available for our cells and blood.

细胞、血液里可用的养份也随之变多。

We naturally do this when we let out a big sigh.

当我们叹气的时候， 就是很自然地在进行这样的程序。

Changing the air pressure going into the lungs is one of the main ways to alter breathing.

改变进入肺部的空气压力， 是其中一个改变呼吸的方式。

Our body automatically does this when we cough, sneeze, or have the hiccups.

当我们咳嗽、打喷嚏、打嗝的时候， 身体很自然的就在做这件事。

Here's a simple experiment.

有一个简单的实验。

Close off your right nostril with your right thumb.

用大拇指把右侧鼻孔盖起来，

Breathe in and out just through the left nostril.

仅使用左侧鼻孔吸气、吐气。

Notice how much harder it is to get the breath in.

你会注意到吸气变难了。

You have to focus your attention, and use your diaphragm and muscles much more than normal.

你必须集中精神，且相较于一般状况， 更大幅度的使用横膈与其他肌肉。

By decreasing the surface area of the airways, you're increasing the pressure of oxygen

透过降低气道的表面积， 你可以增加肺泡与血管间的氧气压力。

moving from the alveoli to the blood.

透过降低气道的表面积， 你可以增加肺泡与血管间的氧气压力。

Yogis often practice alternate nostril breathing to slow down the breath,

瑜伽练习者时常透过这样的练习， 来减缓他们的呼吸速率，

increase oxygen, and activate the body's parasympathetic nervous system,

来增加氧气，同时活化副交感神经系统，

which deals with the body's operations when it's at rest.

身体休息的时候， 处于活跃状态的那个神经系统。

Let's try another exercise.

让我们来尝试另一个练习。

Visualize the way a dog pants when it breathes.

想象小狗呼吸的时候，喘气的呼吸形态。

Now try doing the same type of panting,

现在我们来模仿它，

first with your tongue out, then with your mouth closed.

先是张嘴伸舌，过后再把嘴巴闭起来。

You will find yourself using your stomach muscles to push the air out as you exhale.

你将发现自己在吐气时， 正在使用腹部肌肉吧气体往外推出去。

Place your hand under your nose,

把你的手放到鼻子下，

and you'll feel the strength of the breath coming out.

你可以感觉到呼出气息的强度。

Breathing this way is hard because it requires an active movement of our diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

这样呼吸是比较困难的， 因为它必须牵涉横膈肌、肋间肌的主动参与。

Our body temperature changes quickly during this exercise from the amount of pressure we are exerting on our breath.

随着呼吸产生的压力增加， 我们的体在练习过程中上升。

It's no surprise that you'll find dogs doing this breath often to cool down on a hot day.

因此当小狗用这种方式为自己散热的时候， 你也不会感到惊讶。

When we sleep at night, the medulla center of the brain makes sure that we keep breathing.

当我们睡着时， 大脑的延髓会确保我们持续呼吸。

Lucky for us we don't have to think about it.

幸运的是，我们很自然的就会呼吸， 根本不用思考。

白天的时候，我们的呼吸形态受很多因素影响，

During the day, our breath is much more vulnerable,

especially under stressful or difficult situations.

尤其是当我们面临压力的时候。

That's why it's helpful to pay attention to your breathing.

因此，注意自己的呼吸可以有一些好处。

如果我们能够察觉、调整我们的呼吸，

If you can monitor and change your breath,

就可以改善身体摄取的氧气品质，与氧气量。

you can improve both the quality and quantity of oxygen that enters your body.

This lowers stress, increases energy, and strengthens your immune system.

这样做可以帮助我们排除压力、增加活力、 强化免疫系统。

So the next time someone tells you to relax and take a deep breath,

所以下次如果有人提醒你： “放松，深呼吸。”

你就会明白他们的用意了。

you'll know exactly why.