The Small Breathing Habit That Could Affect Swelling, Digestion, Tension and Recovery
"The Jellyfish Inside Your Body"
Yesterday I was working with a lovely lady who had come to see me because of chronic swelling.
As part of her home programme, I suggested a simple breathing exercise.
Nothing complicated.
Just breathing in and allowing her tummy to gently expand.
Except it wouldn’t.
Every time she inhaled, she automatically pulled her tummy in.
We tried again.
And again.
And again.
By the end of the session she was beginning to feel the difference, but it made me realise something important.
Many of us have forgotten how to breathe.
Not because we’re doing anything wrong.
But because years of stress, surgery, pain, posture habits, “holding ourselves together”, tummy gripping and simply getting older can gradually change the way we move.
The fascinating thing is that breathing isn’t just about getting oxygen into the body.
It influences swelling.
Digestion.
Circulation.
Pelvic floor function.
Movement.
Stress levels.
Even the way tissues heal after surgery.
Your Diaphragm: The Muscle That Never Gets a Day Off
Most people think breathing happens in the lungs.
It doesn’t.
The lungs don’t actually create movement.
The star of the show is a large dome-shaped muscle called the diaphragm.
It sits underneath your lungs and above your abdominal organs.
When you breathe in, the diaphragm moves down.
When you breathe out, it moves back up.
That sounds simple.
But this movement creates changing pressure inside the body that affects far more than breathing.
Research Corner
Research describes the diaphragm as an important “extrinsic pump” for both venous and lymphatic return, helping move fluids through the body using pressure changes created during breathing.
"The Busiest Muscle You've Never Thought About"
Why Breathing Matters for Swelling
The lymphatic system doesn’t have a heart to pump fluid around.
Instead, it relies on movement.
Walking.
Muscle activity.
Joint movement.
And breathing.
Each time the diaphragm moves, it creates pressure changes that help encourage fluid movement through the lymphatic system.
This is one reason diaphragmatic breathing is often included in lymphoedema self-management programmes.
Research Corner
Studies investigating cancer-related lymphoedema have shown that breathing exercises combined with movement can improve symptom management and support lymphatic drainage.
For many people, breathing is one of the simplest ways of creating gentle internal movement when exercise feels difficult.
Why Breathing Matters for Digestion
Imagine gently squeezing and releasing a sponge.
That is a little like what the diaphragm does to the organs underneath it throughout the day.
The stomach.
The intestines.
The liver.
The digestive system.
As the diaphragm moves, abdominal pressure changes.
Organs glide.
Tissues move.
Fluids move.
Nothing dramatic.
Just thousands of tiny movements throughout the day.
Research Corner
Researchers have suggested diaphragmatic breathing may support digestive comfort through its influence on abdominal pressure, organ mobility and nervous system regulation.
"Your Internal Massage"
Why Breathing Matters for Stress
Have you ever noticed how your breathing changes when you’re worried?
Most people breathe higher into the chest.
Faster.
Shallower.
The body shifts into protection mode.
When we slow breathing and allow the diaphragm to move more freely, we can influence the nervous system.
Not because breathing magically fixes stress.
But because breathing is one of the few body systems we can consciously influence.
Research Corner
Numerous studies show slow diaphragmatic breathing can increase parasympathetic activity—the part of the nervous system associated with rest, recovery and restoration.
Why Breathing Matters After Surgery
This is where I see breathing become especially important.
After surgery, many people stop moving their abdomen naturally.
Sometimes because of pain.
Sometimes because of fear.
Sometimes because scar tissue changes how the area feels.
Sometimes because they simply don’t trust the area yet.
The body becomes protective.
Completely understandably.
Over time this can affect movement, posture, confidence and comfort.
Breathing won’t magically remove scar tissue.
But it can become one of the gentlest ways of reintroducing movement to an area that feels guarded.
Why Do Some People Breathe Backwards?
This was exactly what I noticed with my client.
Every time she inhaled, she pulled her tummy in.
This is sometimes called reverse breathing.
The diaphragm may still be working.
The lungs still fill.
But the abdominal wall moves opposite to what we would usually expect during relaxed breathing.
This can happen because of:
- Stress
- Chronic pain
- Surgery
- Habit
- Posture
- Constant tummy gripping
- Fear of appearing “fat”
- Pelvic floor overactivity
The body learns a strategy.
And then forgets it has other options.
"Breathing Forwards vs Breathing Backwards"
It’s Not About Belly Breathing All Day
This is important.
The goal isn’t to walk around with your tummy pushed out all day.
A healthy system can adapt.
Sometimes we need support and bracing.
Sometimes we need relaxation and expansion.
Sometimes we need to cough.
Lift.
Walk.
Exercise.
Laugh.
The real question is:
Can your body move easily between strategies?
Or has it become stuck in one?
A Simple Breathing Exercise
Place one hand on your chest.
Place one hand on your tummy.
Breathe gently through your nose.
See if the lower hand can rise slightly as you inhale.
Allow the ribs to widen.
Allow the abdomen to soften.
No forcing.
No pushing.
No giant breaths.
Just gentle movement.
Think curiosity rather than performance.
"Support, Not Performance"
What I see in clinic: Many people don’t realise they are pulling their tummy in when they breathe. Often they have been doing it for years. Sometimes all it takes is awareness, patience and practice for the body to rediscover a more relaxed breathing pattern.
Breathing is something we do around 20,000 times every day.
Most of the time we never think about it.
But breathing may be quietly influencing swelling, digestion, movement, pelvic floor function, scar recovery, tension and wellbeing.
Sometimes the smallest changes create the biggest ripple effects.
Yesterday’s session wasn’t really about teaching someone how to breathe.
It was about helping her rediscover a movement pattern her body had forgotten.
And perhaps that’s what many rehabilitation journeys are really about.
Not teaching the body something new.
But reminding it of something it once knew.
How I Can Help
If you’re struggling with swelling, recovering from surgery, managing scar tissue, experiencing feelings of heaviness, or simply feeling disconnected from how your body moves, gentle hands-on therapy and movement support may help.
I offer Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), scar therapy, reflexology and specialist movement sessions in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, and monthly clinics in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Sometimes we start with movement.
Sometimes we start with touch.
Sometimes we start with a breath.
Further information can be found:
- British Lymphology Society
- MLD UK
- NHS page on breathing exercises
- Relevant review paper on respiratory influence on lymphatic transport