Breathe Better: Respiratory Rate and What It Entails

Understanding Respiratory Rate: The Breath of Life

Respiratory rate, simply put, is the number of breaths you take per minute. For most healthy adults, this rate typically falls between 12 and 20 breaths per minute at rest. But respiratory rate isn’t just about counting breaths—it’s a vital indicator of your overall health. Changes in your respiratory rate can signal underlying health issues, making it an invaluable metric to monitor regularly.

The Science Behind Respiratory Rate

Breathing in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide is known as respiration. Although it is an everyday, subconscious action, beyond all of this simplicity lies a complicated interaction between chemical and mechanical processes. Your diaphragm moves downward and contracts during inhalation, making room for your lungs to expand and fill with oxygen. After arriving at little air sacs known as alveoli, this oxygen diffuses into the bloodstream. In parallel, blood’s carbon dioxide diffuses into the alveoli for exhalation. 

How Respiratory Rate is Calculated

Wearable technologies, such as Pison Perform,  track this process using heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the variation in the time interval between heartbeats, influenced by the autonomic nervous system. When you breathe in, your heart rate increases slightly; it decreases when you breathe out. This variation, known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia, allows wearables to accurately monitor your respiratory rate. Numerous studies have verified this method, demonstrating that it is within one breath per minute of the industry norm for respiratory assessment.

Interpreting Respiratory Rate Data

It is important to measure respiratory rate when the body is at rest for accurate readings. Any sign of activity could lead to the body laboring, leading to an increase in breathing rate. In adults, average respiratory rates that exceed 20 breaths per minute are scientifically classified as tachypnea and average rates that fall short of 12 breaths per minute are referred to as bradypnea. Both can be harmful to an individual’s health, making their consistent monitoring all the more important. 

The Importance of Monitoring Respiratory Rate

Monitoring your respiratory rate offers a window into your body’s response to various conditions and activities. For athletes, tracking respiratory rate can reveal how efficiently their bodies are utilizing oxygen during different training phases. For non-athletes, keeping an eye on their personal respiratory metrics can provide early warnings for illnesses like asthma or infections as well as keeping track of overall health.

Improving Your Respiratory Rate

Improving your respiratory rate is about enhancing your overall respiratory efficiency and health. Here are a few strategies:

1. Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing: Also known as abdominal breathing, this technique encourages deeper, more efficient breaths. It helps relax your body, reducing stress and lowering respiratory rate.
2. Stay Active: Regular physical activity strengthens your respiratory muscles, improving lung capacity and efficiency.
3. Monitor Environmental Factors: External factors like pollution and pollen can affect your breathing. Wearables can help track how these elements influence your respiratory rate, allowing you to make informed adjustments.
4. Maintain Hydration: Staying hydrated helps keep the mucosal linings in your respiratory system moist, aiding in better air exchange.
5. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Practices like yoga and meditation can improve respiratory efficiency by promoting calm and focused breathing.