Title

How Breathing Feeds Your Body

Subtitle
A simple trip: air to lungs, lungs to blood, blood to cells

On a busy morning, a city bus is full of people.
The air feels warm and heavy.
A young passenger, Leo, stands near the driver.

Leo holds the rail and closes his eyes.
“I feel so tired,” he says.
“My legs are weak. My head is light. I don’t know why.”

The bus driver looks at him with kind eyes.
He opens a small window.
Fresh air moves across the bus.

“Maybe your body needs more oxygen,” the driver says.
“When we breathe, air goes into our lungs.
Oxygen passes into our blood.
Then the blood carries oxygen to every cell in the body.”

Oxygen In: From Lungs to Cells

Inside your lungs are many tiny air spaces.
When you inhale, they fill with air.
Oxygen moves through thin walls into your blood.
Red blood cells pick up the oxygen like little delivery trucks.

They travel through your blood vessels to every part of you:
your muscles, your brain, even your toes.
Cells use oxygen to change food into energy.
This energy helps you walk, think, talk, and work.

Waste Out: Carbon Dioxide Leaves

When cells use oxygen, they make a waste gas called carbon dioxide.
Your blood carries this waste back to your lungs.
When you exhale, carbon dioxide leaves your body.

Health educators and doctors say this simple system is like a “delivery and cleaning service” inside you:
oxygen in, waste out.

On the bus, Leo copies the driver.
He breathes in slowly through his nose and out through his mouth.
After a few breaths, his head feels clearer.
He smiles.
“Maybe I just forgot to give my body enough air.”

Key Points

• Oxygen goes from lungs to blood to body cells and gives energy.
• Breathing out removes carbon dioxide, a waste gas from cells.
• Fresh air and slow breathing can help you feel less tired.

Words to Know

inhale /ɪnˈheɪl/ (v) — to breathe air in
exhale /ɛksˈheɪl/ (v) — to breathe air out
cell /sɛl/ (n) — tiny living unit inside the body
energy /ˈɛnərdʒi/ (n) — power to move, think, and live
carbon dioxide /ˌkɑːrbən daɪˈɒksaɪd/ (n) — waste gas you breathe out
fresh air /frɛʃ eər/ (n) — clean air from outside
muscle /ˈmʌsəl/ (n) — body tissue that helps you move
vessel /ˈvɛsəl/ (n) — tube that carries blood in the body
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ (adj) — needing rest or sleep
weak /wiːk/ (adj) — not strong

Title

Breathing, the Brain, and Your Daily Energy

Subtitle
How the way you breathe changes focus, mood, and stress

It is 1 a.m. in a quiet student room.
A university student, Sara, sits at her desk.
Her exam is tomorrow.
Coffee cups stand beside her laptop.

Her eyes move quickly over the screen,
but the words will not stay in her mind.
Her chest feels tight.
She is breathing fast and shallow, but she does not notice.

The Brain’s Need for Oxygen

Health experts say the brain uses a large part of the body’s oxygen, even when we rest.
Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the brain.
When breathing is slow and steady, the brain gets a stable flow.
We can think clearly, remember better, and stay calmer.

But when we are stressed, many people breathe in a different way.
Breaths become short and high in the chest.
Less air reaches the deep parts of the lungs.
This can mean less oxygen for the brain.

The result?
You may feel dizzy, tense, or confused.
Your heart beats faster.
You may think, “I must work harder,”
but really your brain first needs better breathing.

Simple Habits, Real Effects

A friend texts Sara a short message:
“Stop. Put your feet on the floor.
Breathe in slowly for four seconds.
Hold. Breathe out for six seconds.
Do this ten times.”

Sara listens.
She opens the window a little.
Cool air enters the room.
She follows the steps.

After a few minutes, her shoulders drop.
Her heart slows down.
Her head feels lighter and more open.

Organizations like the American Lung Association say that slow, deep breathing can support focus and reduce stress signals in the body.

Another student in her class has a different habit.
He takes short walks outside between study times.
He breathes more deeply as he moves.
He often returns to his desk with fresh energy.

Your Breath as a Tool

Breathing is automatic, but it is also a tool.
You cannot control every stress in life.
But you can choose to pause, notice your breath, and make it deeper and slower.

The next time you feel overwhelmed at work or school,
ask yourself one simple question:
“Is my brain getting the oxygen it needs right now?”

Key Points

• The brain needs a steady supply of oxygen to think and feel balanced.
• Stress often makes us breathe fast and shallow, which can reduce focus and energy.
• Simple breathing habits and fresh air can calm the body and support clearer thinking.

Words to Know

shallow breathing /ˈʃæloʊ ˈbriːðɪŋ/ (n) — short breaths high in the chest
steady /ˈstɛdi/ (adj) — regular and constant
flow /floʊ/ (n) — smooth movement of a liquid or gas
tense /tɛns/ (adj) — tight and nervous
dizzy /ˈdɪzi/ (adj) — feeling like things are moving or spinning
overwhelmed /ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmd/ (adj) — feeling unable to handle everything
pause /pɔːz/ (v) — to stop for a short time
shoulder /ˈʃoʊldər/ (n) — part of the body between neck and arm
signal /ˈsɪgnəl/ (n) — sign or message
habit /ˈhæbɪt/ (n) — something you do again and again
oxygen level /ˈɒksɪdʒən ˈlɛvəl/ (n) — how much oxygen is present
focus /ˈfoʊkəs/ (n) — clear mental attention

Title

Every Breath You Take: Breathing, Modern Life, and the Air Around Us

Subtitle
From stressed lungs to city pollution, how oxygen links body and society

On a grey morning in a crowded city,
Jin sits at his office desk on the 20th floor.
He slept badly.
Outside, traffic noise mixes with the sound of construction.

He opens a news app.
The headline says:
“Air Quality Warning: High Pollution Today.”
He rubs his eyes and sighs.
His chest feels heavy, and his breaths are short.

Personal Breath, Public Air

Inside Jin’s body, the basic system is the same as for everyone:
air in, oxygen to the cells, carbon dioxide out.
Red blood cells carry oxygen to his brain and muscles.
When this exchange works well, people feel awake and strong.

But modern life often works against easy breathing.
Many people sit indoors for long hours,
leaning over screens, breathing fast and shallow.
The body stays in a light stress state,
and the brain may receive less steady oxygen.

At the same time, the air itself is changing.
Reports from the World Health Organization warn that city pollution increases the risk of lung and heart disease.
Medical journals like The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine describe how tiny particles from cars, factories, and smoke can enter the lungs, damage tissue, and reduce oxygen flow over time.

Systems Behind Each Breath

Jin’s tired breathing is not only a private problem.
It is connected to systems:
traffic rules, public transport, building design, and health policy.

Some cities now create car-free zones, plant more trees,
and improve public transit to cut pollution.
Others add green roofs and better filters in buildings
to improve indoor air quality.

Public health campaigns explain how smoking,
including second-hand smoke,
damages the respiratory system and limits oxygen in the blood.
They encourage smoke-free homes, offices, and public spaces.

At the same time, interest in breathing practices is growing.
People join yoga classes, download breathing apps,
or follow simple “inhale–exhale” routines at their desks.
Researchers in fields like respiratory medicine and neuroscience
study how slow, deep breathing can calm the nervous system
and support heart and brain function.

A Shared Responsibility

Jin reads one more line in the news app:
“Experts say even small changes in city design
can reduce pollution and save lives.”

He closes his eyes and takes a slow, deep breath.
The air is not perfect, but it is still a gift.
He decides to take the stairs for short walks during the day,
to keep a plant on his desk,
and to support local plans for cleaner transport.

Breathing is a personal act,
but the air belongs to everyone.
Each of us can watch our own habits—
rushing, smoking, sitting still for hours—
and also think about larger choices:
cleaner streets, greener spaces,
and policies that protect the lungs of a whole city.

Every breath carries oxygen to your cells
and returns carbon dioxide to the world outside.
The question is not only,
“How am I breathing today?”
but also,
“What kind of air are we creating together?”

Key Points

• Breathing links personal health with environmental and social systems like city design, transport, and public health rules.
• Modern stress, screen time, smoking, and pollution can all damage lungs and reduce the body’s oxygen supply over time.
• Personal breathing habits and public policies (clean air laws, green spaces, smoke-free areas) together shape how safe and nourishing each breath can be.

Words to Know

fatigue /fəˈtiːg/ (n) — strong tiredness in body or mind
air quality /eər ˈkwɒləti/ (n) — how clean or dirty the air is
pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ (n) — harmful substances in air, water, or land
particle /ˈpɑːrtɪkəl/ (n) — very small piece of something
respiratory system /rɛˈspɪrəˌtɔːri ˈsɪstəm/ (n) — body parts used for breathing
nervous system /ˈnɜːrvəs ˈsɪstəm/ (n) — brain, spinal cord, and nerves in the body
second-hand smoke /ˌsɛkənd ˈhænd smoʊk/ (n) — tobacco smoke from other people’s cigarettes
indoor /ˈɪndɔːr/ (adj) — inside a building
policy /ˈpɒləsi/ (n) — plan or rule made by a government or group
oxygen flow /ˈɒksɪdʒən floʊ/ (n) — movement of oxygen through the body
screen time /skriːn taɪm/ (n) — time spent looking at digital screens
urban /ˈɜːrbən/ (adj) — related to a city
warning /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/ (n) — message about possible danger
tissue /ˈtɪʃuː/ (n) — group of cells forming body material
neuroscience /ˈnjʊrəˌsaɪəns/ (n) — study of the brain and nerves