Mindful Breathing While Exercising

Art of breathingThe art of inhaling and exhaling often gets overlooked during a workout session as we are too focussed on completing the set of exercises at hand. Breathing - something you do throughout the day, every day, can impact your athletic performance. Oxygen is a fuel for the body and the muscles to function efficiently. In order for you to do anything from talking, walking, exercise etc., oxygen needs to reach those muscles. Higher the bodily movement/activity more is the oxygen requirement to sustain those activities. Oxygen is optimally delivered to the muscles, leading to an efficient result during a workout session.Proper breathing helps you to lift heavier, gives more muscle endurance during weight lifting and cardio activities like running, swimming, and also helps in recovery more quickly during high intensity sports like basketball, soccer etc. .Science of breathingThe way you breathe can impact how hard/easy it is to complete a workout session. With every breath, the volume of lungs changes, thereby the position of the thoracic spine, the ribs, the pelvis, shoulders also change. The inter-abdominal pressure changes with each inhalation and exhalation leading to an efficient output. Paying attention to your breathing during a workout session will help in the long term to:• Reduce the amount of air you need to inhale and exhale during the given exercise• Help your muscles produce less carbon dioxide• Improve blood circulation and cardiovascular endurance• Maximise your workout and fitness levelWalkingWalking is one of the most common exercise undertaken by people of all age groups. Walking may cause shortness of breath which is why one should practice correct breathing technique while walking. Always walk with a good posture, arms swinging by the side of the body in a relaxed manner. If you are stressed/tensed, then the muscles use more oxygen. Use pursed lip breathing while walking, inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth pursing the lips. Exhalation should be slow and comfortable and twice as long as inhalation. This method helps to restore oxygen more rapidly to your body. Try not to take deep breaths as it will trap the air in the lungs causing chest tightness and shortness of breath.RunningRhythmic breathing, also called as cadence breathing, is the number of steps taken on inhalation and exhalation. For example, if you inhale two steps and exhale two steps, you are more susceptible to injury on one side as the exhalation is always on the same foot. Instead, try to alternate the breathing pattern to 2:1 where you inhale two steps and exhale one step, thereby improving the core stability and prevent from any kind of injury. This rhythmic breathing in alternate ratio of 2:1 can be practiced while running or jogging.CyclingThe key to effective breathing while cycling is to breathe deeply and not just sip the air. Ensure that you are using your lungs to the maximum potential. For this you mustknow how to do belly breathing properly before you get on the cycle/bike.In any comfortable position, either lying down on back or sitting, place one hand lightly on your abdomen. Inhale for 3 seconds and feel your abdomen rise, and exhale for 3 seconds to feel the abdomen descend back. By doing this if you are able to bring your breathing to about 10 breaths a minute, you will notice the benefits gradually. (Practice belly breathing/ diaphragmatic breathing every day for a couple of minutes will bring your breathing to at least 10 breaths per minute which is beneficial for almost all types of exercises. Another important aspect while cycling is to control your breathing especially on rough terrain or while climbing uphill. In such cases, you can count your breaths to the rhythm of pedal strokes and this can bring focus back to breathing.SquattingThe general thumb rule is to inhale through nose so that the air fills the belly and exhale through mouth. Inhalation should be done just before you begin to lower down and as you extend your legs back to starting position, exhale gradually.Strength training exercisesFor those who weight train, the basic technique is to inhale right before the eccentric (muscle lengthening) phase and exhale during the concentric (muscle shortening) phase of the exercise. Insimpler words, take deep breath in while lowering the weight and exhale as the weight is being lifted against gravity. This allows proper oxygen circulation to the muscle and protect from kind of injury.For example, when performing the dumbbell curl, inhale as you are lowering the weight towards gravity (floor) and exhale as you lift the weight to the shoulder against gravityJust breatheBreathing is one of the most natural and automatic process and paying attention to your breath during any exercise can make it more effective and efficient. The above mentioned few techniques could be a learned skill for most, while intuitive for few.This is the reason it is very important to stay mindful of breathing as you move and do any activity.Dr. Nakita Mon.val is a Consulting Physiotherapist