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Breathing Better During My Workouts
Fitness | August 17, 2015
Proper breathing, especially when working out, is one of those things that seem relatively simple. We’ve been doing since we were babies, right? Well, it’s simple until you’re really pushing it at the ZGYM and suddenly find yourself red in the face and gasping like a drowning victim who’s just been rescued by David Hasslehoff from that cheesy TV show, Baywatch. The act of breathing is natural enough, but proper breathing is a skill itself. In fact, when working out, proper breathing can make all the difference in those final few minutes when you really have to push it.
Belly Not Chest
People often think that taking a full, deep breath requires filling our chests with air. This is incorrect. A full breath begins right below the navel at the belly and slowly expands upward. A great cue is to think about expanding your sides as you inhale. This is also known as breathing from your diaphragm. You singers out there know this well! The goal is to fill the bottom of your lungs first. Chest breathing is actually an inefficient, shallow breath. The lower part of the lungs is just not engaged enough. This leads to less overall oxygen received by the body and, consequently, feeling out of breath sooner than necessary. Those of you who meditate or practice Yoga also understand this. Feel free to chime in with more thoughts on belly breathing as well if you have experience in this!
Nose or Mouth?
While breathing through the nose or mouth is an endless debate when it comes to exercise, I prefer the advice of Olympic champion, Alison McConnell who also happens to have a PhD in Respiratory Physiology (I didn’t even know that was a thing!). McConnell advices breathing through the mouth as it’s easier and more efficient.
Valsalva Maneuver
It’s got a funny name, but athletes who do a lot of explosive-type training use the Valsalva maneuver to better brace their spines for support to prevent injury. In effect, they’re using a deep, held breath (again, think belly breath) to brace their abdominal wall before performing an explosive movement such as a power clean or heavy deadlift. While the jury is still out on its effectiveness and more research is needed, the Valsalva maneuver is an integral aspect of breathing for many athletes.
The Valsalva maneuver may not directly apply to what we do, but it’s definitely something to consider when your form gets wonky on movements such as squats. Often I see people get fatigued on their last reps or sets and begin leaning too far forward losing proper form. The Valsalva maneuver is good way to keep your core tight and spine braced on the concentric part of the movement. Just don’t forget to exhale!
Prep Your Breath
To get better accustomed to breathing properly prep your breath. Consider it a part of your warm-up. It doesn’t even require a lot of time. Take five to ten deep, full breaths focusing on your belly and diaphragm and slowly exhaling out. This will teach your body to be more efficient over time with breathing when you’re working out with me.
How’s your breathing these days? Is it affected by diet and/or allergies?
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Private Member |
Lovely to hear you speak of the belly breath Zuzka. It’s so hard to get people to relax their bellies enough to breath a proper diaphragmatic breath. I absolutely hate that horrible old instruction of ‘draw your bellybutton in’ supposedly to protect the back. It’s beyond contradictory to constantly engage the expiratory muscles (the abdominal muscles) in this way when trying to do any physical practice, and it doesn’t protect the spine either. Proper form and alignment will do that for you. Here’s a video of my yoga teacher Simon Borg-Olivier of Yoga Synergy talking about (and demonstrating) some diaphragmatic breathing. Hope you like it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNmu99RuSqc
Private Member |
paris, Île de france, france
My breath it is clearly improved since I stopped smoking 3 years ago and I follows you since all this time and thanks to stretchings and to yoga it is still better. Thank you zuzka you are the best
Private Member |
balestrand, norway
Just don’t do the valsalva maneuver if you have high blood pressure!
Private Member |
Very informational post.I usually breath from my mouth when I do high intensity workouts I find it easier!
http://www.2activelab.com
Private Member |
Thank you Zuzka for this grat advice!!!!
I tried to breath into my belly in todays workout.
Did Cardio Shred # 11 … and there are some hard exercises where I usually have to take short breaks, but when I recognised a muscle burn I concentrated me on breathing into my belly and I was able to finish the reps!!!!
Private Member |
It’s an interesting post as I just started my 10 weeks training in the purpose to run a 10 km race. As I am really not a runner at all (sic !), I always used to inhale by the nose and exhale by the mouth while counting my paths, in order to control my pace.
Recently, I read an article mentioning to breathe in the same time by the nose and the mouth so enough oxygen can be inhaled and used by muscles, to avoid cramps and pain. It is very interesting to run using this technic and I for my 1st session yesterday, I could see the difference.
Personally when I do one of your WO, I think I must only breathe by the mouth !! And anyway, I am always red by the end !! LOL
Private Member |
Im glad its ok to breathe through mouth during Zgym workouts. I cannot breathe through my nose by the end and I’ll try focusing on belly movement more! Thanks for this!:)
Private Member |
It goes hand in hand with mindfulness and meditation. It’s all the same breathing techniques to perform being still as well as being active.
Private Member |
OK zuzka I seen one of your cool down videos and you’re not breathing as heavy (like so much I bet you just want to lie there and just catch breath no speak ) as during and just after workout. do yo wait till your breathing is down to the way it is in cool down video before taping it and if so how do you calm heavy breathing down? also you say how come you don’t do any of the methods/techniques you talk about above?
PLEASE DO A VIDEO ON YOU CALMING HEAVY BREATHING DOWN AFTER WORKOUT WITH TECHNIQUES?
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
I have shot the cool down video separately from my workout – that’s why you don’t see me breathing heavily in that video. If I’m really out of breath after my workout, I just march in place for a minute or two and then I get directly into my cool down and stretching.
Private Member |
what are the breathing techniques you use post workout and have you ever been so much out of breath you just couldn’t speak? when you first started HIT workouts did you get so much out of breath you just had to stop and gasp for air?
could you do video where you are catching breath and it leads into the cool down?
also how come your yoga doesn’t make you not breathe heavy working out?
Private Member |
forgot to ask what’s your favourite shoe and what size are you?
Private Member |
brand of shoe for workout
Private Member |
if? so in other words THATS not breathing heavy after workout? wow I like to see how much more you can go?
Private Member |
so I guess you won’t do video of calming heavy breathing down after workout show us how you do it?