The act of breathing is accomplished primarily by the movement of your diaphragm. Your lungs do nothing on their own — they require muscles in order to function properly. The diaphragm is the most important breathing muscle. 

Try-It-Now:

Place your hands on the bottom of your ribs—this is where the biggest, most oxygen-rich part of your lungs are.

Is this part moving while you breathe?

Now, find the bottom of your ribs and walk your fingers around from the front to the sides, all the way to the back — this is where your diaphragm attaches. It looks like a parachute or an umbrella.

The Movement of the Diaphragm

The Diaphragm is an inhale muscle, it is not an exhale muscle. The Diaphragm separates the thoracic (chest) and abdominal cavities.

• When you inhale, your diaphragm flattens, moving downward into the abdominal cavity. It pushes the ribs open to create space in the ribcage for the lungs to expand.
• When you exhale, your diaphragm narrows.

Here is a visual interpretation for a better understanding, using a vegetable steamer. See the pictures below.

For an even better understanding of the diaphragm’s movement, watch the video here.

INHALE, EXPAND EXHALE, NARROW

Diaphragm is responsible for 75% of all respiratory effort (Powers & Kavazis, 2025).

The lowest part of your lungs, closest to the diaphragm is the most efficient part of your lungs. 

Mastering your breathing starts with proper breathing mechanics, meaning breathing correctly. Now that you have knowledge about the diaphragm, the goal is to activate it. Like any other muscle, the diaphragm can become tight and rigid, which is why it needs to be trained. We learned that the diaphragm is located in the middle part of the body, and we want to make that part flexible. The more flexibility in that part of the body you have, the better —you’ll be able to expand more. Your breathing will become effortless and flexible.

Reference List:

Myers, Tom. “Tom Myers: Why Yogic Deep Breathing Matters More than You Think – The Many Important Functions of the Diaphragm.” YogaUOnline, 21 May 2016, https://yogauonline.com/yoga-practice-teaching-tips/yoga-anatomy/tom-myers-why-yogic-deep-breathing-matters-more-than-you-think-the-many-important-functions-of-the-diaphragm/.

Powers, S. K., & Kavazis, A. N. (2025). Diaphragm Muscle: A Pump That Can Not Fail. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12363152/

Vranich, B. (2016). Breathe: The simple, revolutionary 14-day program to improve your mental and physical health(1st ed.). St. Martin’s Griffin.