Breath Work For Health and Performance
This week's blog is a collaboration between Dr. Wagner and Matt West. Matt is a good friend of ours and excellent trainer who focuses on working with athletes and runners of all ages. We've had some great conversations about breath work recently. This blog and a companion podcast will be on this topic. We really think breath work can be a game changer, so please enjoy! Keep reading to learn about breath work for health and performance.
It’s so easy for fitness professionals to make the art of movement and training more confusing than it needs to be. The human body is complex, but the best coaches are great at keeping training and programming simple, but effective.
Breath work for health and performance is an example of a hot topic in the fitness industry that can be incredibly overcomplicated, but doesn't have to be. Our goal with this article is to introduce breath work, tell you why we think it's important and give you some easy ways to start experimenting with it in your training.
Why Think About Breath Work?
Many people wonder why we even want you to pay attention to your breathing. Isn't this something that just happens automatically? Technically, yes. However, we think you're missing out on significant wellness and performance gains if you aren't thinking about breathing strategies, mechanics, etc.
We're not saying you need to be focused on your breathing at all times.
We are saying that many people are disconnected from their breathing, which means they are disconnected from their body (and mind).
Used correctly, breathing can be a way for you to improve general physical function and adaptability with a relatively small commitment of time.
How Breathing Relates to General Movement
Most of us know that movement variability is key. We need to be exposed to different angles, speeds, loads, etc. to become more resilient. Appropriate variety in training means you are capable of handling stress in all kinds of positions and situations. This means better function, performance and fewer injuries.
Breathing is no different. Specific training strategies and focused effort means you will be more capable, adaptable and resilient.
Our breathing determines the shapes we can get in; these shapes determine our position in space; and that position dictates whether we can move in a strong, safe position – or one that leaves us vulnerable.
It has been said before "if you can't breathe in a position, you don't own it." This may be a bit extreme, but gets the point across. Even if you have the mobility, strength and skill to achieve a certain position, you won't be able to get there (or stay there) if you can't breathe in that position. Your body will prioritize breathing, so we need to make sure you're comfortable breathing in many different shapes.
How To Add Breath Work To Your Routine
A simple way to incorporate breath work into our already-existing routine is to begin every workout, run, etc. with a quick breathing drill. This will allow you to connect to your breathing and will prep your body to train.
Here’s a basic drill you can try:
Start lying on your back with feet on a wall, box or bench. Reach your arms toward the ceiling, keeping your elbows soft. With the arms reaching softly toward the ceiling we’re allowing the shoulder blades to slide away from each other, so as to really feel the backside of your ribcage expand.
From here, the goal is to tuck your pelvis (bring your back pockets toward your hamstrings) and then inhale deeply (through your nose is ideal), really trying to feel the ribcage expand three-dimensionally. We usually cue clients to focus on a 3-4 second inhale.
From there, focus on exhaling nice and long (pursed lips or through your nose), feeling your ribs go down and in, and really feeling your deep frontside abdominals turn on. (It should feel like you’re doing a mini crunch.) Don't just relax and let air move out, deliberately exhale slower and more forcefully.
The exhale should be LONGER than the inhale, ideally twice as long or more. We find that many people shorten their exhale. Its very important to learn to exhale completely. This sets the stage for better breathing mechanics and aerobic efficiency.
Here's a video to see what we mean.
Use the exercise above to start connecting to your breathing before and/or after you train. Can you expand your whole rib cage? Can you exhale fully? Can you pause after the exhale for a few seconds without freaking out? You might be surprised at some of the blind spots that come to light.
Breath Work Makes You A Smarter Athlete
Once you start practicing this locked in breathing position lying on the ground (with the ribs right over the pelvis), you’ll notice that you will begin to pay attention to it during exercise. And the more we can be conscious of our inhales (expansion) and exhales (compression) during movement, the better equipped we will be to get into the right shapes and positions.
Breathe in, expand, and exhale fully, and notice the difference it makes in your movement capabilities. As you explore different positions, pay attention if breathing feels restricted in certain shapes. This may be an indication you need some work there.
If you're interested in diving deeper into these concepts, a good next step is to start thinking more about breathing DURING movement. Check out the video below to learn a "gear system" that can really connect you to your breath during training.
Breathing Gear system
Simple Breath Work, Surprising Results
We've given you a couple quick ways to start using breath work. This won't take more than a few minutes before/during/after workouts but can make a big difference.
Start slow, keep things simple and be curious. Changes won't come overnight, but consistency with practices like these can really improve your wellness and performance.
If you have any specific questions, please reach out to Wagner PT & Performance HERE and contact Matt HERE
We would love to help you optimize breathing and show you how breath work can fit into your training.
Also, here is another resource we both use for breath work. Lots of great info here: SHIFT//ADAPT