Exercise Breathing Techniques
Part Two

Stand in front of a mirror and take a deep breath. If you sucked your stomach in and stuck your chest out with your shoulders raised, you just did “high chest” breathing, which is considered the most inefficient way to breathe because you don’t use the lower two-thirds of your lungs.

Shallow chest breathing means less energy during exercise because you get less air per breath. It results in becoming breathless and fatigued before the workout is over.

It is also connected to stress in a “vicious cycle” relationship. Stress triggers rapid shallow breathing, which causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise, which in turn makes you feel more agitated and stressed.

The same goes for conditions like asthma. An asthma attack sets off shallow breathing, which then makes the asthma worse.

Diaphragmatic breathing
This is the most relaxed and natural form of breathing. You should be using this technique when you walk, run, cycle, swim, and do aerobic classes. This is also the type of breathing used in tai chi and yoga. It is also known as belly breathing, soft stomach breathing, and low breathing.

The diaphragm is a muscle-tendon combination that separates your heart and lungs from the organs in your abdominal cavity. It looks like an upside-down bowl.

When you inhale, your diaphragm pulls downward to give your lungs room to expand. It helps create a sort of vacuum in the lungs so air can rush in. When you exhale, it releases upward to help compress the lungs and expel the air out.

The abdomen expands outward slightly when you inhale and the diaphragm pushes downward. The abdomen deflates or pulls in towards the spin when you exhale and the diaphragm is pushed upward. If you watch a baby sleeping, you will see the gentle rise and fall of the abdomen.

If you are not sure how to properly use your diaphragm, lie down and place something heavy like a three-to-five kilo bag of rice on your upper abdomen. The bag should move upward when you inhale and downward when you exhale. This exercise is also good for strengthening the diaphragm. In yoga, it is called sandbag breathing.

Ribcage breathing
This is a hallmark of Pilates and is also known as lateral breathing and intercostals breathing. There are some yoga teachers who say that this is the true diaphragmatic breathe. The chest and lower abdomen are kept still and only the ribcage and diaphragm do the work. The ribcage expands sideways like an accordion.

The purpose is to stabilize and protect your spine while you are in different exercise positions by holding your abdominal muscles tight but still allowing you to take in enough air by expanding the ribcage laterally. It is also highly useful when you are wearing a tight outfit and you want to maintain “flat abs” without turning blue.

Here’s how to practice lateral breathing: Snugly double wrap a long sash around your ribcage. Lie on your back with your knees bent. You should feel your ribs trying to expand sideways when you inhale. Next, balance a plastic ball on your lower abdomen. The ball shouldn’t move or fall off when you inhale or exhale.

Cadence breathing
This technique is also known as measured breathing and the “walking breath” in yoga. It is used in rhythmic exercise like walking, running, cycling, and swimming. Doing it the yoga way, silently count out your inhalations and exhalations and match them with the number of steps you take. For example, inhale for four steps and exhale for four steps. This is called 4:4 breathing. It can turn a walk into “moving meditation”. Variations used in running or cycling:
• 2:2 (during relaxed running, inhale for two steps, exhale for two)
• 2:1 (when running hard or fast)
• 3:2 (during relaxed running, alternate the foot you inhale on)

A side stitch or a sharp pain in the upper abdomen may be caused by a spasm in the ligaments that attach your liver to your diaphragm. Since the liver is on the right side of your body, cadence breathing on the left foot may help. Focus on belly breathing and exhale when your left foot strikes the ground.

Strength training
When lifting weights, the basic rule is to exhale on the exertion or the hardest part.
• When doing pushing exercises like a bench press, exhale when you thrust the bar away from you.
• When doing pulling exercises like a lat-pulldown, exhale when you pull towards you.
• When doing body weight exercises like a push-up or squat, exhale when you lift your body away from the floor.
• When doing abdominal crunches, exhale when you flex your spine.

Just breathe
If all these rules make you dizzy, then just remember the cardinal rule: When all else fails, just breathe. Don’t hold your breathe for any length of time. As runners say, “Breathe through your nose. Breathe through your mouth. Breathe through your ears, if you can.

Go to archive...