SUBJECT: how to breathe
MESSAGE: Dear Sirs,  This may seem like a stupid question but here goes anyway.  I am 64 yrs old and a type II diabetic.  I walk frequently to stay fairly fit but always seem to get out of breath when going up even gentle hills. Today however I noticed that I could change how I breath. Thus, I could force air out using my diaphram (ie like blowing out a candle)then relax and just let the air flow back in or I could use my diaphram to suck in air (like breathing in the morning air)and again relax my diaphram to push it out. I also found that I could breath faster under conscious control which seemd to help my performance. I dont know if any of this makes sense to you but I would like to know what you think and whether there are any do's and dont's and if there is a 'better' way to breath.  Thanks very much for your help with this,  Regards,  [NAME]

Summarized question: What are techniques for  proper breathing?