Breathing Techniques During Exercise | Day #10 WellFit 365
Are You Aware of Your Breathing Whilst Exercising?
You’re probably thinking to yourself:
Why is it important to learn how to breathe during exercise? Who needs instruction on breathing techniques? I already know how to breathe… duh!
Well, correct breathing is actually something that we are constantly having to educate our personal training clients on to ensure that they get the most out of each and every workout.
Some common mistakes with breathing whilst exercising are:
- Holding your breath
- Breathing to deep or too shallow
- Breathing too fast or too slow, and
- Even just inhaling & exhaling at the wrong times.
Breathing Techniques During Cardio Exercises
Breathing through cardio exercises – Adopt nice, deep and controlled breaths. Try to not to breathe with the chest, try and breathe with your tummy.
It has been shown that it really doesn’t matter whether you’re breathing through your nose or your mouth – There is no real proof to show any difference. Some people say that breathing through your mouth is better because there is less resistance for the air coming through, but it is is really up to your personal preference.
When You’re Running: It has been proven that 2 & 2 breathing is most effective. That is, 2 steps breathing in, 2 steps breathing out, 2 in, 2 out, etc.
Breathing Techniques During Weight Training
The most common habit developed with weight trainers is to hold their breath while they’re lifting weights.
Make sure you’re breathing during your weight lifting exercises. The correct breathing technique for weight training is to exhale on your movement of exertion. For example, if you are performing a bench press repetition, breathe in as you lower the weight down towards your chest, exhale as you push on your way up.
Even if it takes you a while to get the timing of this breathing technique 100% correct, the main thing to remember is that you are breathing during your weight lifting exercises and not causing a build up of pressure within your body that could prove harmful.
Breathing during stretching
Stretching can be uncomfortable, especially when you’re starting out.
The main thing to remember with breathing whilst stretching is to breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out. Each time you breathe out, let your body fall a little bit deeper into the stretch.
