May 19, 2025
Breathing is Different for Women: How CO₂ Sensitivity, PMS, & Menopause Affect Respiration with Patrick McKeown
BETTER! Muscle, Mobility, Metabolism & (Peri) Menopause with Dr. StephanieAbout this episode
Get ready to dive into how women breathe differently from men. The renowned breath expert, Patrick McKeon, explores the connection between breathing and hormones throughout our menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause. The episode talks about how poor breathing patterns can affect conditions like PMS, anxiety, and sleep disorders, and why nasal breathing is so important for our overall health. Patrick also shares some practical breathing exercises that you can try at home to improve your breathing and well-being. If you’re looking to optimize your health through functional breathing, this episode is definitely worth taking a breather for! Episode Overview (timestamps are approximate): (0:00) Intro/Teaser (6:00) Connection Between Breathing and Menstrual Cycle (16:00) Impact of Breathing on Health (21:00) Optimizing Breathing for Performance and Health (28:00) Optimizing Breathing Techniques for Health (40:00) Improving Breathing Through Diaphragmatic Expansion (54:00) Enhancing Diaphragmatic Breathing Techniques (60:00) Gender, Breathing, and Sleep Changes (1:12:00) Impact of Aging on Sleep Quality (1:20:00) Breath and Women's Health (1:26:00) The "After-Party" with Dr. Stephanie Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep417/ A huge thanks to our sponsors: BIOPTIMIZERS - Contains multiple types of magnesium plus cofactors like B6 to enhance absorption. Visit https://bioptimizers.com/better and use code BETTER to save 10%. MAUI NUI VENISON - Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and bioavailable compounds that support energy, performance, and overall health. Head over to https://mauinuivenison.com/better to checkout their premium snack sticks and fresh starter boxes. BON CHARGE - Achieve glowing skin and more energy with BON CHARGE's amazing products. Get 15% off at https://boncharge.com/better with code BETTER . WALKING PAD - Low intensity exercise like walking is one of the best ways to burn fat. Go to https://www.walkingpad.com/DRSTEPHANIE and use the code DRSTEPHANIE for 30% off selected collections. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.