@thebreathingphysio: Air hunger in the car is a very common sign of dysfunctional breathing. Your medical tests are normal, yet the moment you get in the car, you feel like you cannot get a satisfying breath. You start yawning, sighing, upper chest breathing, gasping… wondering “why does this always happen when I’m driving?” Here’s why 👇🏽🚗 1. Upper chest breathing when sitting If you tend to breathe high into your upper chest, neck and shoulders, you’re not breathing properly. In the car, sitting often makes upper chest breathing patterns worse. 2. You are over-breathing without realising before and during your drive. Dysfunctional breathing often means breathing more than your body needs. That lowers carbon dioxide levels, which can create air hunger, chest tightness, dizziness, tingling, and the urge to keep taking bigger breaths. 3. Driving is an automatic task Because driving is familiar, your brain is not heavily distracted. That means you notice every breath more, particularly if you’re not breathing properly. The more you monitor it, the more air hunger worsens. 4. Sucking your stomach in Abdominal muscle gripping is common when driving and reduces diaphragm movement and shifts breathing higher into the chest. 5. Driving activates your fight and flight response Even if you do not feel anxious, driving often raises fight and flight response slightly. Traffic, attention, posture, anticipation etc, all of that can trigger dysfunctional breathing patterns. 6. Symptoms often show up when you sit still If you have been over-breathing during the day, you will notice it most when you finally sit still. Then the vicious cycle of dysfunctional breathing begins … … big breaths → breath stacking → upper chest breathing → lower CO₂ → more air hunger → more panic. When you learn to breathe properly and retrain your breathing pattern, you can break the cycle and feel present while driving again. DM me BREATHE to reset your breathing pattern and learn how to stop chasing that satisfying breath, and I’ll send you my free breathing guide 💌 #breathingpatterndisorder #breathing #breathingphysio #physiotherap

thebreathingphysio

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Thursday 30 April 2026 23:27:30 GMT