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Did you know that you could improve your performance and endurance through proper breathing technique? “By learning to control your breathing, by understanding how the respiratory system is integrated with your body, by using conscious breathing in all your pursuits, you will improve nearly every aspect of your life,” explains Al Lee, co-author of Perfect Breathing (Sterling Publishing, 2009). “Whether you’re a casual gym-goer, a mall walker, a mountain biker, an actor, singer or dancer, putting your breath at the core of your discipline will help you achieve far more than you ever thought.”

THE TEST: Are you breathing correctly throughout your training? Let’s find out:

Step 1 – Inhale (do it with me)… Did your belly pull in or pop out?

Step 2 – Exhale… Did your belly pull in or pop out?

Well, if you’re like a whole slew of us, as you inhale, you pull your chest up and in, along with your belly. And as you exhaled, you inflated your belly like a balloon or a small baby-bump. Guess what… this is not the correct way of breathing and, like you, most people have it backwards.

SO let’s look at what we can do to utilize our “breathing muscles” properly and start seeing (and feeling) an increase in our endurance and performance!

THE DIAPHRAGM: WHAT IS IT?

The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration. It is a thin, dome-shaped sheet of muscle that inserts into the lower ribs. Your diaphragm controls how much space your lungs have to expand and fill with air.

According to Al Lee, “If the diaphragm and intercostals aren’t exercised, they atrophy (waste away)—just like any other muscle in the body. For most adults, their breathing has slowly moved higher and higher into their chests over the years, so they’re taking little sips of air into the tops of their lungs and are barely using the diaphragm. In fact, if you’re not actively exercising [the diaphragm], the older you get, the more difficult it is to get it unstuck.”

HOW DO YOU USE THE DIAPHRAGM PROPERLY?

We’re going to think about it this way: “Breathing With The Belly.” Let’s try this exercise: begin to pop your lower belly out as if you’re inflating a balloon, and then deflate that balloon, pulling it into your pelvis. This is how you’re going to get used to feeling what general location your diaphragm is in and how to use the muscle. Dr. Richard Rafoth says to “Focus on pushing your diaphragm down as you inhale. This will cause your stomach to expand past your chest. It may feel unnatural at first, but with consistent practice, it becomes second nature.”

When you try it, it does feel unnatural because we’ve been doing it backwards, or just not paying attention, for all of these years! And if you’re among the ones who are doing it right – props to you! Be a mentor, and try to bring it up in conversation so that more people can learn – maybe next time you’re at lunch with co-workers or in the gym, cycling by someone in class!

NOW FOR THE BREAKDOWN

As you’re cycling or running farther and faster, your muscles are going to require more oxygen! Your body will naturally increase your oxygen intake, but it’s up to you to control the depth of your breaths and avoid the short shallow breathing that leads to panting or hyperventilating, wasting energy that could be utilized better in your motor muscles (legs).

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Al Lee “cites studies that he and co-author, Don Campbell, came across with competitive athletes that showed an efficiency improvement of about 10 percent with respiratory resistance training. That means that, at the same level of performance, they were consuming 10 percent less oxygen. ‘There was also an associated performance improvement of about 5 to 8 percent,’ says Lee, ‘which would shave about three to five minutes off the time of a runner in a 60-minute race … That performance improvement may also be due in part to improved focus. When you are focused on your breath, you become intimately in touch with your mind, body and emotions and very much in the moment, which improves performance.’”

PERFORMANCE BREATHING: HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

Let’s measure in ‘counts.’ You can count in seconds or in pedal strokes:

Step 1 - INHALE THROUGH THE NOSE for a count of 2 Inflating the lower belly like a balloon

Step 2 - PAUSE for a count of 2

Step 3 - EXHALE THROUGH THE MOUTH for a count of 4 Deflating that balloon, pushing out all of the oxygen in your lungs

** Your exhale should be longer than your inhale

Step 4 - REPEAT

This is awkward, I know! But, as the Dr. Says, it will become second nature. Begin practicing correct breathing techniques at home, at the office, and while you’re watching TV. Then, practice again at the beginning of class when you’re warming up and, before you know it, you’ll be pushing harder and longer and seeing better results!

BONUS: This new-found FOCUS will help get your mind on what matters and push all of those self-defeating excuses out the door!

Cha-Ching! Finally!

References:

http://oac.med.jhmi.edu/res_phys/Encyclopedia/Diaphragm/Diaphragm.HTML

http://www.livestrong.com/article/329790-breathing-techniques-cycling/#ixzz2Nue1MWHo