Proper breathing when exercising is vital, because your body will need a constant supply of oxygen and carbon dioxide removal. It also helps you develop a rhythm when lifting weights or doing flexibility exercises. If you do not breathe properly, you can increase your blood pressure rapidly, which can be dangerous. According to Gray Cook, founder of Functional Movement Systems in Danville, Virginia, different types of exercises require different methods of breathing to perform.
Biomechanical Breathing
This is the most common type of breathing for heavy weight lifting. You exhale when you exert force to lift a weight and inhale when you lower a weight. When you exhale, you push your diaphragm into your body cavity to brace your spine as you lift and exert force. This protects your spine from injury and maintains your posture. Pavel Tsatsouline, co-founder of Russian Kettlebell Certification in the United States and author of "Enter the Kettlebell," uses biomechanical breathing for high-intensity lifts. Many traditional weight-training exercises with cable machines, your own body weight, barbells and dumbbells suit this type of breathing.
Anatomical Breathing
In this type of breathing, you exhale as your body compresses itself and inhale when your upper body opens up. A sample exercise you can try is to stand with your legs slightly apart and inhale as you open your arms wide. Lift your chest up as you breathe, and tilt your head back slightly. Exhale and round your back forward, folding your arms around your stomach. According to Tsatsouline, you should use anatomical breathing when lifting a lighter weight and doing more reps. This allows you to increase the duration of the exercise with less fatigue. Exercises that use anatomical breathing include kettle bell training, yoga and Pilates.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing follows the same breathing patterns as the biomechanical breathing, except that you do it as a warm-up and cool-down. The primary difference between these two breathing types is the body position and speed of the breathing. Cook suggests that you start diaphragmatic breathing in a standing position during a warm-up and do it on your back with your legs bent during a cool-down. Inhale from five to six seconds and exhale for the same duration. Your belly should expand during the inhalation and retract during the exhalation.
References
- "Enter The Kettlebell!"; Pavel Tsatsouline; 2006
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
