81. "Breathing Techniques for Enhanced Performance: How Proper Respiration Can Boost Your Workouts"

It’s crucial to breathe correctly during your strength and cardio workouts, as breathing is the key to efficiently using energy to support your exercise. By applying the right techniques, you'll not only enhance your performance but also avoid unnecessary fatigue or discomfort. I’m going to explain three key principles that can help you breathe better during various types of workouts.

1. Breathing in Cardio Workouts

Many people experience discomfort, such as stomach pain, during cardio exercises. Often, this isn't caused by the intensity of the exercise itself but by poor breathing techniques. Your lungs, like any other part of your body, need to be trained. The better you breathe, the better your cardio performance.

I recommend starting by breathing only through your nose at a controlled pace. As you pick up speed or intensity, you can switch to mouth breathing to allow for more oxygen intake. It’s easy to slip into shallow or erratic breathing when exercising, so I suggest trying the square breathing method. Here’s how it works:

• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds
• Exhale for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds

It might seem simple, but it’s challenging at first and will take time to master. Once you do, your cardio performance will improve significantly.

2. Breathing in Strength Workouts

Breathing during strength training is quite different from cardio. Two main techniques are bracing and thoracic breathing.

• Bracing: This involves breathing with your diaphragm and inflating your core, which helps protect your lower back and spine.
• Thoracic Breathing: This technique involves inhaling with your chest and shoulders, which is useful in certain exercises.

I recommend using the bracing technique for leg exercises like squats and deadlifts to help stabilize your core. For upper-body exercises like bench presses or military presses, thoracic breathing might make you feel stronger by focusing on expanding your chest and shoulders.

3. Avoiding Apnea and High Intra-Abdominal Pressure

While bracing is important, maintaining it for too long or using it excessively can create a condition called apnea. This is when you hold your breath for too long, causing a high intra-abdominal pressure, which can lead to dizziness or even fainting.

One example is the Valsalva maneuver, where people hold their breath during heavy lifts, leading to a sudden spike in pressure. This can cause dangerous situations, such as fainting mid-lift. There are many videos on social media showing athletes who pass out during exercises like deadlifts because of this. To avoid this, practice controlled breathing and release your breath at the right moments during your workout.

4. Breathing in Different Phases of Exercise

Regardless of the workout, you should aim to breathe consciously during each phase of the exercise. For example, exhale during the exertion phase (e.g., when pushing a weight up) and inhale during the lowering or preparation phase. Correct breathing makes the workout more efficient and reduces the risk of injury.

Summary

In short, if you’re not breathing properly, your workouts will be less efficient, more difficult, and more tiring. The tips I’ve shared here can help you become stronger, just like my clients who have implemented these techniques into their routines. I hope these insights will benefit your fitness journey. Feel free to leave your thoughts or share your experience below!