“Breathing exercises are important” “Just breathe” “You need to relax” We have heard this before and have probably been annoyed at the person telling us this. Well, here we are. Telling you the same things but providing you with the actual WHY.
As a society, we are STRESSED. During these “unprecedented times”, we are also experiencing stress from work, family, friends, traffic, etc…. By the time we are in elementary school we have already changed how we breathe. We use our chest more than filling our bellies which means our lungs can’t fill up the same.
We often are rapidly breathing or even holding our breath during the day. A reset of the nervous system is necessary. When we are rapidly breathing our body begins to go into fight or flight. This happens so often we don’t even notice it until we are on the way home, yelling at the car in front of us on I-20 for going too slow in the fast lane. What these breathing exercises do is give you a sense of control and let your body know you are in a safe environment. There is no need to fight or flight.
These 4 easy breathing exercises listed below can be done at home, at work, while driving, and pretty much any other time.
4 in 4 out Slow Belly Breathing
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
Close your eyes
Place your hands on your belly
Deliberately slow down your breathing
Breathe in to a count of 4 filling your belly with air
Pause for a moment
Repeat
Goal: 5-10 minutes
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
Close your eyes
Start at your feet and tense the muscles
Slowly let the tension go as you breath out
State to yourself this is stress leaving your body
Work your way up
Follow this video below for your first time
The Sigh
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
Breathe in
When you breath out open your mouth and exhale the air with a sound of air releasing (sigh)
Relax the muscles in your neck, shoulders, or anywhere you feel tension
Repeat 3-4 times
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Sit or lie in a comfortable position
Close the right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through your left nostril
Close the left nostril with your index finger and exhale through your right nostril
Inhale through your right nostril and exhale through your left
Repeat 12 times
Watch this video to complete this guided breathing exercise
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