Question

Why do our stomach move up and down when we are breathing

Answer 1

The actual mechanism of breathing involves the movement of the rib cage and the diaphragm, not the stomach. Ribcage & Diaphragm are located around and at the base of the chest cavity respectively. During inhalation, the diaphragm moves down and the ribs move upwards and outwards, thereby increasing the space in the chest cavity. This leads to the movement of air inside the lungs. During exhalation, the diaphragm moves to its former position and the ribs move downwards and inwards, thereby reducing the size of the chest cavity. This leads to the movement of air out of the lungs.