Breath is More than Breath

There are many ways that athletes—and the rest of us—rely on breath, not just for circulating oxygen and carbon dioxide. Sure, that's the vital part. Breath is also important for timing. It is our adjustable metronome. It can be a flag we organize our other movements around. Breath doesn't just circulate gases: it helps circulate liquids, gets involved with peristaltic motion, influences the tides of cerebrospinal fluid, coordinates with the cardiovascular system and moves lymph along—and who knows what it does for chi? Something. The diaphragm and the breathing apparatus aren't just for breathing.