A couple weeks ago, as I was waiting for my husband and daughters at the airport, I noticed something interesting.
A lot of the young women coming through Arrivals had stiff, straight abdomens. Their tummies weren’t moving when they breathed, just their chests.
It took me back to a memory from my pre-teen years. Those volatile, impressionable years where many parts of our lives can be susceptible to societal hijack. Especially true of young girls.
The memory was of me making a conscious decision to try to chest breathe instead of belly breathe. I didn’t want to be caught with my belly ballooning out. Like, ever. So, in an effort to look slim and appear more beautiful (to strangers, I guess?), I began my journey into chest breathing.
I had since made a conscious reverse-decision to deeply belly breathe no matter what.
But it got me wondering about what other subtle signs of patriarchy might be out there if something as fundamental as the way we breathe can be shaped by societal standards.
In this post, we’ll explore the connection between chest breathing, fat-shaming, and unrealistic beauty standards, all framed by the influence of the patriarchy.
For many women, belly breathing—though healthier—has been subtly discouraged as a way of controlling female bodies to align with the male gaze.
Let’s start with the basics…
Belly breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing) is the natural, optimal way to breathe. When you belly breathe, you engage your diaphragm fully, allowing your lungs to expand to their full capacity.
This provides a deeper intake of oxygen, slows your heart rate, and triggers your body’s relaxation response, also known as the parasympathetic nervous system.
In contrast, chest breathing is more shallow. It often occurs when we’re stressed, anxious, or holding tension in our bodies—conditions that many women experience regularly.
Chest breathing can also be a symptom of engaging the sympathetic nervous system, living in survival mode or being in fight or flight. Over time, many women start chest breathing unconsciously, and the calming benefits of belly breathing are left behind.
Benefits of Belly Breathing:
- Increased oxygen intake: With deeper breaths, you allow more oxygen into your system, supporting overall physical and mental health.
- Stress reduction: Belly breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.
- Improved core strength: It engages the core muscles, contributing to better posture and even reducing the risk of injury.
- Better emotional regulation: Deep breathing helps you stay grounded and calm, a critical skill in dealing with daily stressors.
So if belly breathing is so good for us, why aren’t more women doing it?
Why Aren't Women Belly Breathing?
While my little-girl self made a conscious choice to chest-breathe rather than belly breathe, many girls and women are conditioned to chest breathe without even realising it.
For decades, women have been told, directly and indirectly, that their value is linked to how thin or small they can make their bodies appear. (Isn’t that just a beautifully apt way for how the patriarchy tries to minimise females into submission?).
And one of the ways we internalise this message is by sucking in our stomachs to create the illusion of slimness. Over time, this leads to habitual chest breathing, as our stomachs are constantly held in rather than allowed to expand naturally during breath.
And while this is 100% anecdotal, I’m convinced this is true for maaaany women out there.
The Pressure to Have a "Flat Stomach"
Think about the last time you saw a woman with a relaxed, soft belly in a magazine ad.
Rarely, if ever, right?
Media, fashion, and even social media have glorified the image of a perfectly flat stomach. Never mind that this isn’t a realistic or healthy expectation for most of us.
Fat-shaming—the negative stigma attached to having fat on our bodies—compounds this issue, as we’re made to feel ashamed of our natural bodies.
Even health movements are often co-opted to promote fat loss, rather than true health, leaving us with the belief that any hint of a round stomach is unacceptable.
This pervasive beauty standard doesn’t just affect how we look at ourselves in the mirror. It shapes how we move, sit, stand, and even breathe.
The Patriarchy Discourages Women Belly Breathing
At the heart of this phenomenon is *drumroll* THE PATRIARCHY! A system that has historically controlled women’s bodies to align with the expectations of men.
By discouraging belly breathing—whether consciously or unconsciously—society subtly enforces the idea that our bodies should be small, quiet, and controlled.
The Role of Fatphobia in Policing Women’s Bodies
As women, we are constantly told to shrink ourselves. This doesn’t just apply to weight but extends to how we occupy physical and social spaces.
Fatphobia, the systemic fear and stigmatisation of fat bodies, ensures that, as women, we are encouraged to take up as little space as possible.
By chest breathing, we avoid expanding our bodies, minimising our presence and reinforcing the idea that our value comes from being thin, pleasant to men, and unobtrusive.
Control Over Women’s Bodies for Male Approval
When we trace this issue back to its root, we find the influence of the male gaze—the notion that women’s appearances and actions are primarily evaluated through a lens of male approval.
A flat stomach, even to the point of inhibiting natural breathing, is often considered more attractive by societal standards. Think about the centuries of corset-wearing women did!
This leads to us women being socially conditioned to prioritse aesthetics over our own well-being. #Shoutout to ShapeWear! Even when it affects something as fundamental as our breath.
But this isn’t just about vanity.
It’s about control.
Women are taught to constantly monitor and adjust their bodies, leaving little room for autonomy and authenticity.
So, the simple act of letting your belly expand during a breath becomes a form of rebellion. Ridiculous, I know, but also true.
Women belly breathing is a declaration that our bodies are not meant to be shaped and molded for someone else’s pleasure.
Reclaiming Your Breath: The Importance of Women Belly Breathing
Belly breathing is not just a healthy practice—it’s an act of reclaiming your body.
By allowing yourself to take up space, you’re rejecting the idea that your body needs to conform to unrealistic standards. You’re prioritising your health over an unattainable ideal.
If chest breathing is one small way women have been encouraged to fit into patriarchal standards, then belly breathing can be a form of resistance.
Dismantling the unrealistic beauty standards that harm women starts with small acts of rebellion — like letting your stomach expand as you breathe.
I’m actually convinced that this is why yoga is so popular among women – it’s 20-60 minutes of a kind of breathing that our bodies so desperately crave!
Final Thoughts
At first glance, breathing may seem like a trivial thing to analyse. But as we’ve explored, chest breathing in women is a subtle sign of the patriarchy’s control over our bodies.
This makes encouraging belly breathing not just about physical health but about reclaiming autonomy over your body. And it’s also about challenging the oppressive beauty standards that tell us to shrink themselves to be worthy.
It’s actually wild to me that women belly breathing can be considered resistance at all! But here we are, folks!
So take a deep breath, expand your belly, and remember that every breath you take is yours and yours alone.
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