When you think of exercise, things like stamina, determination and focus come to mind. These things are all important parts of a healthy routine, but there is another critical element: breathing. Oxygen is the substance that fuels the mind and body. Without a steady stream of air, muscles lose their power and the brain loses its focus. The problem is that most people never learn how to breath properly and, as a result, their ability to perform is held shy of their peak potential. When introduced to breathing routines, learners can become so obsessed with their breathing that the form of the exercise suffers.
Step 1
Exhale forcefully each time you contract your muscles. A muscle contraction occurs when you move against resistance, such as pushing a barbell away from your chest in the bench press or lifting your body up during a chin-up.
Step 2
Avoid fixating on the exhalation. Breathing should be natural. You don't need to count for a certain number of seconds or exhale quickly or slowly. Simply breathe out when moving against resistance and let your body dictate how it happens.
Step 3
Inhale deeply when relaxing your muscles. This is the opposite of contraction and could be allowing gravity to lower the barbell to your chest or to pull you down from the chin-up bar. A deep breath infuses your blood with enough oxygen to perform the next repetition.
Step 4
Don't worry about how long you spend inhaling air. The middle of a repetition is the wrong place to perform meditative breathing routines. You shouldn't be counting how long you are inhaling for or be worrying about how quickly or slowly it happens. Let it be natural.
Step 5
Rest between sets and focus on deep breathes. Again, these don't need to be strictly regulated. The goal is to infuse your body with a surplus of oxygen in the blood stream so you can attack the next exercise with energy and focus.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't add rules. Don't count. Don't think about your chest or lungs. Your focus should be on the exercise itself, not your breath. Simply breathe out when exerting force and breathe in when relaxing your muscles.
- Don't hold your breath. Doing so is a good way to get dizzy or even black out. Avoid switching the breathing pattern. It is more difficult to breathe backwards and it breaks up your flow.
