There is much to learn about fitness. The way to move, the way to approach stress, even the way to breath. As this is such a natural movement of inhalation and exhalation, discussion rarely takes place on the most efficient way to do it !
As you are sitting in front of your computer now you may notice that your natural breathing is taking place in and out through your nose. Your chest rise and fall is rather shallow, meaning that your upper torso seems to be the only thing moving. This is typical of a resting position. Your body is only demanding a minimal amount of O2 to keep things running smooth.
By and large breathing through the nose takes in much less O2 than breathing through the mouth. Lately I have been doing breathing exercises where I breath deeply through the mouth, filling the diaphragm and then exhaling with force. Keep in mind that I am in a resting position so this process (when done over :90) makes me quite euphoric as I super oxygenate my body and practically hyperventilate. The point is, while at rest nose breathing suffices for all our needs.
Mouth Breathing during workouts or sprinting is the most efficient way to keep your body oxygenated. What you should keep in mind is that when using your mouth to take in O2, remember to breath deep through the diaphragm. What tends to happen is the shoulders, back and chest tighten up when we are stressed, creating a shallow breath situation. I see this most commonly with beginning athletes.
As we approach the trail run I have a challenge for you. It is simple, "DO MORE WITH LESS". What I want you to practice on your training runs or during intense workouts in the gym is to consciously breath only through your nose! The out come, (as I have tried this a bit) is that you will have to breath deeper, longer and more forceful. You will have to loosen up your tight torso and let your diaphragm expand. Through this training your lung capacity will improve and you will notice that fitness anxiety will wash away... You will be focused on your breath and not the pain !!!
So stay conscious and become the best athlete that you want to be. Keep up the training and look for my TIPS on how to be successful in the trial run written up at the Gym!!
Baseline:
2X
10 Leg Swings
10 Elbow To Instep
:20 Calf Stretch
1X
800m Run
Squat Flow and Pulliung Prep
Skill Development:
Front Squat
3-3-3-3
WOD:
"Good Times"
10-1
Body Weight Front Squat
Chest To bar Pull Up
*this is a benchmark workout that I devised and is a great test of your capacity and strength!
