If our diaphragm is a muscle, why dont we have the same muscle pains there that we get from working out?

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If our diaphragm is a muscle, why dont we have the same muscle pains there that we get from working out?

In: Biology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Even though it’s a skeletal muscle like your biceps or lats, for the most part it’s an involuntary muscle and you can’t control it. Even the old-time stomach vacuum poses are mostly abdominal exercises, they’re not that related to your diaphragm. The Valsava Maneuver involves contracting the diaphragm, and people who use it while exercising will strengthen the diaphragm muscle, but because of our limited conscious control over the muscle it’s difficult to target it directly.

Anonymous 0 Comments

You will get the cramps there, during certain conditions. If you get hiccups really badly, you will feel sore the next day. The muscle is thin skeletal muscle, but it’s work is involuntary, because it’s primary function, is to make you breathe. So, it’s constantly moving, unlike when you work out. You don’t have diaphragm day, for instance.

However, there ARE breathing exercises that you can do, to make it stronger and more efficient. I would imagine, that if you started doing some, you would likely feel some discomfort at first. It could feel like chest pains though. That’s the most common complaint, when it does cramp or spasm. It feels different because it’s not exactly the same as other skeletal muscles.