Why You’re Probably Breathing Wrong And What That Has to Do With Weight Loss

Written By Jenna Armitage

I’ve been practicing yoga since I was 13. I’ve moved through thousands of poses, countless flows, injuries, recoveries, pregnancy, and postpartum rebuilds. And until recently? I’d never really paid attention to how I breathe.

Sure, I’d “matched movement to breath” like every teacher says. I’d heard inhale, exhale, move, hold — but my breath was more like a metronome than a tool. It wasn’t guiding me, and I definitely wasn’t guiding it.

It wasn’t until after I had my daughter, lying on a mat in a postnatal Pilates class, that I realised I had no idea how to breathe properly. My instructor asked us to breathe into our bellies, to expand the lower ribs. I couldn't do it. For years — decades — I had been “sucking it in,” just like every magazine photo and every group picture told me to. That meant breathing high into my chest, shoulders rising, stomach braced.

No one talks about the toll that takes — not just on your nervous system or pelvic floor (though: yes), but on your metabolism and ability to lose weight.

The Missing Link Between Breath and Weight Loss

When people think about weight loss, they often think calories, workouts, intermittent fasting. But there’s something much more foundational we overlook: oxygen.

According to Dr. Amira Blake, integrative physiologist and breathwork researcher:

“Most people associate fat loss with exercise and diet, but forget that oxygen is literally required to metabolise fat. The process of breaking down fat — known as lipolysis — depends on oxygen. Without efficient breathing, your body struggles to burn fat efficiently.

Chronic shallow breathing — especially through the mouth — also keeps the body in a mild state of fight-or-flight, which raises cortisol, suppresses digestion, and makes fat loss harder. Breathwork, especially nasal and diaphragmatic, can flip that switch. It’s one of the most underutilised biohacks for hormonal health, weight regulation, and long-term vitality.”

In short: your breath might be the most overlooked tool for weight loss — and it’s completely free.

When we breathe shallowly — into our upper chest, with the mouth open and the body tensed — we’re living in a constant low-level stress response. That keeps cortisol elevated and down-regulates the systems that support fat metabolism, digestion, and hormone balance.

But when we retrain our breath — when we strengthen the diaphragm, engage the pelvic floor, slow down, and drop into deep nasal breathing — we access:

  • Parasympathetic nervous system activation (hello, rest and digest)

  • Improved lymphatic flow (your body’s natural detox and debloat system)

  • Deeper core and pelvic floor connection (key for postpartum recovery and sculpt)

  • Enhanced oxygenation for cellular metabolism

  • Reduced inflammation and stress-related weight retention

Learning to Breathe (Again)

Retraining the breath isn’t easy. Especially if, like me, you’ve spent most of your life breathing high and tight. It’s a conscious practice. One that can feel slow at first — until you start to notice your digestion improving, your body recovering faster, your sleep deepening, and the scale quietly shifting.

If you’re ready to explore what breathwork can do for your body, your energy, and your weight, we’ve created two opportunities to experience it for free or as a beginner:

I’m still re-learning how to breathe — every day. Especially now, pregnant again, running a business, raising a toddler — I can feel the shift when I drop into deep, grounded breath. It anchors me. It softens the overwhelm. It reminds me that I’m not here to hold it all in.

Join us. Your body already knows how to breathe — we’re just here to help you remember.

With love,
Jenna x
Founder, GoodGood Yoga

Jenna Armitage
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