You Might Not Be Breathing Properly — Here’s How to Tell

Breathing is supposed to be a no-brainer, but a lot of us are doing it wrong. Breathing is one of those things you never have to think about. In, out, repeat — nothing to it. It’s the easiest thing … until one day, your breathing gets thrown completely out of whack. If you’ve ever struggled with shortness of breath after a virus, or suddenly found yourself panting hard every time you set out for a run, you know the feeling. Officially known as dysfunctional breathing, this maddening issue is actually much more common than you might think — nearly 1 in 10 adults have it. In simple terms, dysfunctional breathing is an irregular pattern of breathing. It can include hyperventilating — when you’re rapidly breathing and exhaling too much carbon dioxide — shortness of breath, or a feeling of “air hunger.” When your breathing is out of whack, it can feel super uncomfortable, even scary. A lot of people describe it as feeling like they can’t get a full breath, even though their oxygen levels are normal. You might notice frequent sighing or yawning, tightness in the chest or throat, fast or shallow breathing, or feeling lightheaded. Dysfunctional breathing is sometimes just a temporary, minor glitch, but in other cases, something medical is going on. The most common culprits are allergies, asthma, vocal cord dysfunction, and stress and anxiety. Improper breathing is not good because it throws off the exchange of gases that regulates many things in your body. Every time you breathe in, the air goes through your trachea to your lungs. Oxygen passes into your bloodstream, and you breathe out carbon dioxide. So, how can you tell if you’re not breathing properly? Get into a relaxing position, put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Now feel yourself breathe. If you’re breathing properly, you’ll feel your stomach rise while your chest doesn’t move. If you notice your chest moving, you’re shallow breathing. To build a healthy breathing habit, follow these medical pointers:

• • Breathe through your nose when you can, because it naturally slows things down.
• • Focus on belly breathing (letting your abdomen rise, not your chest).
• • Slow your breathing down. Take a gentle inhale and a longer, relaxed exhale.
• • If you still notice irregular breathing, work with a specialist (like a respiratory or speech therapist trained in breathing techniques). 

There’s no instant fix to correct a disordered breathing pattern, but the good news is that many people begin to feel better within a few weeks of consistent breathing retraining. Getting underlying issues like asthma under control can help speed the process. Beyond that, consistency is key: Keep working on your belly breathing every day. Remember, your body learned this breathing pattern, so it can also unlearn it, but like any habit, it takes repetition.

 

Continue Reading...

Guess How Much It Costs to Raise a Child in 2026

We knew kids were expensive, but we did’t know they were that expensive! You know that moment when your kid outgrows brand-new sneakers after wearing them six times, or when a quick Target run somehow turns into $187 worth of snacks and stuff they just had to have? Yes, kids are expensive — really expensive. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, the numbers jump again. A 2026 analysis takes a fresh look at what it costs to raise a child in America (excluding college), and even seasoned parents might do a double-take. Costs have climbed fast — in some cases, shockingly fast. So before you read on, take a guess: What does it cost to raise a child from birth to 18 today? Lock in your number, then keep reading to see how close you come to reality. To estimate the real cost of raising a child, LendingTree focused on the amount of additional money parents spend because they have a child. The cost of raising a child through age 18 has increased again, exceeding a whopping $300,000 for the first time since LendingTree began tracking in 2023. More specifically, you can expect to spend around $303,418 to raise a child in America. On average, this works out to about $16,857 a year over 18 years, reflecting a 1.9% increase from the previous year. While this report didn’t include college, it’s worth mentioning here, since this cost is on the horizon. Data from U.S. News & World Report shows that for the 2025–2026 school year, private colleges charged an average of $44,961 in tuition and fees. So which kiddie cost skyrocketed the most? Rent was the most significant kid-related cost in 2026, with the average rent being $1,680, up 48.9% from 2025. Food also made a big jump, increasing from $3,254 in 2023 to $4,208 in 2026. What are the most expensive states to raise a child? Families in six states are projected to spend more than $300,000 raising a child over 18 years. Here is the full list of the average cost of raising a child in 2026 by state, going from highest to lowest:

 

 

Continue Reading...

Company’s Gigantic Excavator Has a Fully Electric Drive Mode

Mining is heavy business, and so is this giant Komatsu excavator. It weighs two million pounds, but comes standard with fully-electric drive mode, allowing even the world’s largest mining operations to suddenly zero-out emissions from excavation vehicles. The PC9000-12 is the largest excavator Komatsu has ever built. It can move 80 tons with a single movement of its giant scoop, and having undergone successful testing at Suncor Mining’s Alberta sand mine, it’s now ready for order and delivery around the world. The behemoth’s party trick is that you can plug it in like you’d plug in and use a vacuum, only you need grid-scale power rather than a home electrical outlet. Once it is plugged it, a face-frying 4 megawatts of power are drawn into two electrical motors that crank out the equivalent of 5,300 horsepower. Imagine how much diesel it would use to get that truck from the bottom of a hole to the top eight times a day. Now imagine how much that diesel would cost with the recent disruption in worldwide diesel production and refining from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The PC9000-12 doesn’t have to worry about any of that.

Continue Reading...

Dallas Restaurant Offers Unusual Burgers

Twisted Root Burger Company is known for its creative and tasty toppings, thick milkshakes and extensive craft beer selection. You can go again and again and again and have a different culinary experience each time. There’s something else that makes Twisted Root’s menu even more varied: You can get any of their burgers made with Wagyu beef, venison, elk, lamb, ostrich, kangaroo, emu, boar, rabbit, duck, camel and alligator. The animals used in the burgers are raised without growth hormones and are mostly grain-fed. These burgers might elicit an eye-roll or two, but Twisted Root has become a neighborhood joint turned burger chain that thrives most when it’s experimenting. The husband-wife team of Jason and Amanda Boso opened the unusual restaurant in 2006, but it really took off when popularity soared after it was featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Burgers typically run $11 to $12.50.

 

 

Continue Reading...