Breathwork has two different functions for health and fitness. One type of breathwork can help you relax your body and your mind. The other breathwork is part of improving your athleticism and form. Using proper breathing techniques during exercise improves results. Focusing on breathwork during daily life can improve your mood and overall health.
If you’re running, it can make the run more comfortable and boost your performance.
If you’re doing other exercises, taking a breath at the appropriate time and releasing it when you’re doing a different movement affects the outcome of the exercise, making it more or less effective. It increases bodily control and keeps you focused when you work out. Breath control during exercise causes your muscles to produce less carbon dioxide. It boosts blood circulation and keeps your heart healthier. Generally, you should breathe in deeply through your nose, expanding your belly, when you’re doing a movement that lengthens the muscle. Breathe out when you’re contracting a muscle.
Controlled breathing when not exercising provides mental and physical benefits.
Breathing should be natural. Doing it correctly should come naturally. Sometimes, things can change that. Breathing is automatic and part of the autonomic nervous system, like other involuntary bodily functions. Chronic stress can affect how you breathe. It can make breathing fast and shallow. That limits the oxygen you breathe and can cause an increased heart rate and other changes. Your posture and whether you breathe in through your nose makes breathing more effective.
Whether doing breathwork for exercise or relaxation, you’ll reap benefits.
Stress can trigger a rapid heart rate and shallow breathing. It can trigger anxiety. Breathwork can help you overcome it. It boosts relaxation and simultaneously alertness, decreasing anger, depression, and anxiety. You’ll improve your sleep cycle and feel more at ease. Learning breathing techniques for exercise can make your workout more comfortable and allow you to continue longer.
- Two examples of proper breath control for exercise are push-ups and squats. When you’re lowering your body in a push-up, inhale. Right before you raise your body, start exhaling. The same is true for a squat.
- One breath control relaxation technique is to slow breathing by inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding for four seconds again. Breathe in through the nose.
- If you have problems with a rapid heartbeat from panic attacks, use the 4-7-8 technique to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Breathe in through the nose for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds.
- Practice breathing techniques daily to help keep you relaxed. You’ll have the technique conquered when you’re under stress and need it the most. Always check with your healthcare professional first.
For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center