Are you breathing properly?
Breathing during a workout can sometimes feel a lot harder than breathing during simple tasks. But what if I told you, in reality, it’s all the same? When we move our body in ways we aren’t used to, our mind tricks us into thinking we have to change how we breathe but that’s not true!! It just means we have to focus more on our breathing when being active so we provide our body with the oxygen it needs to keep us going!! This is another reason why the simple adjustment of zipping your ribcage is so important when staying active. If you want to know more about how to zip your ribcage, click here!
The standard during strength training is to inhale on relaxation and exhale during exertion. For cardio, you generally breathe in and out through the nose or, when intensity ramps up, through the mouth. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle beneath the lungs. When you inhale, it flattens and moves downward, pressing against the abdominal organs so the lungs can expand. Nasm stated that many adults don’t properly engage the diaphragm—poor posture, stress, and other factors lead people to breathe shallowly, moving the upper rib cage more than it should. It can also cause discomfort in the chest and back muscles, weaken the muscles in the pelvic floor and lower back, and disrupt the proper movement of the shoulders and spine.
I can tell you from experience that it’s hard to get it on the first try when trying to focus on a simple task like this while in the middle of a workout. But I can also tell you from experience, that when you work out hard and your breathing is monitored and being done properly, the benefits are immaculate. I’ve worked out in so many places whether it’s the gym, or at home, and realized I’m not giving myself the best workout I can because I’m not breathing properly, but that’s when I also realized that so many others aren’t either. With the One and Done program, 7 minutes was the perfect way for me to get a solid workout in, and be able to focus on how to breathe properly with the 7-minute follow-along workouts!
So here are some tips you can start incorporating into your routine, that will help you breathe properly:
If you tend to hold your breath, encourage yourself to count each rep out loud
If you’re experiencing side-stitches while running, try exhaling during the left footfall (not the right).
If you can’t catch your breath, try standing tall with your hands behind your head to open the lungs and allow for deeper inhalations
don’t bend over and place your hands on your knees.
When cooling down or stretching, deep, slow breathing helps calm the body and aid in recovery.
This in combination with wanting simple, low impact workouts, I created my One and Done program. Because who doesn’t love simple and easy? All you need is 7 minutes. The perfect amount of time to focus on breathing while doing a short beneficial workout. The One and Done program allows you to build muscle, and strengthen your body while all learning how to zip up your ribcage, and breathe properly to reduce the risk for injuries! Benefitting twice as much with just one program!
Breathing is something that comes naturally but that doesn’t mean we’re always doing it properly. Join me and let’s get fit together in the quickest, easiest, and healthiest way possible! And let’s start by learning to control our breathing to fill our bodies with oxygen to encourage better, longer-lasting results, faster than you ever thought possible!
P.s If you want a quick way to detox and cleanse your body, to prep and prime it for success check out my Green Smoothie Detox!