From the first to the last breath - our whole life depends on it. We breathe in and out around 20,000 times a day. Each breath supplies the body with oxygen, but that's not all. With certain breathing techniques we can also specifically influence our mood, heart rate and even blood pressure. But can correct breathing also help with severe pain? Quarks does the test and connects brave men to a contraction simulator. With unforeseen consequences. 00:00 Introduction 00:36 Relieve pain through correct breathing - Part 1 Quarks reporter Adrian Pflug does the self-test. During the birth preparations, his wife and her midwife regularly talked about correct breathing to reduce the pain of labor. But is that really possible? 06:20 Apnea - diving: under water for a minute through trained breathing Heike Schwerdtner has been training her breathing for years. A very special way of breathing helps the apnea diver to stay underwater for minutes on just one breath. 11:58 Relieve pain by breathing correctly - Part 2 In the second part of the self-test, Quarks reporter Adrian Pflug tries to better endure simulated labor pains by breathing correctly. 18:18 Relieve stress by breathing correctly When we are stressed, we automatically breathe faster and more shallowly - the heart rate remains almost the same when inhaling and exhaling. However, we can trick our nervous system by exhaling for longer. 21:39 Changes in breathing after COVID-19 The triathlete Annika fell ill with COVID-19 in March 2020. As a result, her dream of running a middle distance became a distant dream. Two weeks after the outbreak of infection, her breathing condition deteriorated significantly. Annika has trouble breathing and can hardly eat because she feels like she cannot breathe. 27:25 Are our own four walls a health hazard? New furniture, shoes, nail polish or cleaning products: all of these things emit gases and chemicals in our apartments and houses. There are guidelines for the concentration of these chemicals in the air - but what happens if these are exceeded? 33:13 Fine dust in the air - what are we actually breathing in? Small hairs in the lungs protect us from bacteria and air pollution while we breathe. These hairs in the lungs are damaged by exhaust fumes and other pollutants in the air. If their function is impaired, we breathe in these pollutants almost unfiltered and are much more susceptible to respiratory diseases. By making a few small changes in our lives, we can protect ourselves and those around us. 37:13 What is "good air"? There are places where the air is particularly good - for example by the sea or in the forest. But why is that? 39:54 When breathing gets out of sync Andreas Plug experienced a serious shock. After his brother died, he only gradually noticed a deterioration in his general condition. The shock he experienced caused him to breathe incorrectly, throwing his own body out of sync. But techniques for conscious and correct breathing help Andreas Plug to return to normality. Authors: Jens Hahne, Sonja Kolonko, D. Link, Ilka aus der Mark, T. Moebus Image source thumbnail: [dream@do]/stock.adobe.com --- Thanks for watching! Did you like the video? Then subscribe now to the only official Quarks channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Quarks?sub_co... Also visit: https://www.quarks.de #Quarks on Instagram: / quarks.de / beautyquarks Quarks on Twitter: / quarkswdr Quarks on Facebook: / quarks.de Here you can find the clip in the WDR media library: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/qua... #Quarks #Atmen