By Hugo Elliot
While you are squatting under a couple hundred pounds, you probably are not thinking about your breathing. The problem is that breathing can have a profound impact on your performance in the gym. Improper breathing can limit your performance and cause you to fall short of your potential.
Taking a breather during a workout is easy, even if you have never done it before. Consider the following tips to nurture the habit. Choose from a wide choice of fitness programs at the best gym in Dubai and thrive together!
- Proper Breathing During Heavy Lifts
Whenever you lift heavy weights, you should perform the Valsalva manoeuvre. This is a technique where you take in as much air as you can at the beginning of your lift and then bear down with your abdominal muscles. While pushing, you are bracing your core, which provides maximum stability, protects your spine and allows you to deliver maximum power to the barbell.
Holding your breath through the entire lift can result in fainting. Rather, hold your breath and then exhale. Maintain your core brace during the entire lift. For less strenuous lifts, you should follow a rhythmic breathing pattern. Inhale at the bottom of the lift and exhale as you push or pull. When you exhale, more power can be generated during the lift, helping you to stabilize your core, push or pull with maximum force while protecting your back.
- Proper Breathing During Cardio
Both lifting and cardio require proper breathing. Practicing good breathing techniques will help you get more from your workout, whether you are a runner, cyclist, swimmer, or you simply hit the treadmill after lifting.
Focus on rhythmic breathing, inhaling and exhaling for roughly equal durations. This will ensure a steady oxygen supply. When you are out of shape, or new to cycling or running, this can be tricky. In case you find yourself getting too winded, try lowering the intensity of the exercise and focusing on your breathing. When you improve your cardiovascular fitness, it will become second nature, and you can focus on other things, like your running form.
- Breath Control for Strength Training
Breathing out during the concentric phase (lifting weights) is the most effective breathing technique for strength training. You can increase core engagement by exhaling and squeezing the air out of your stomach.
With a tight core, you will have more power and stability, which will improve your lifting capability. You can also prevent the dizziness from following a lift by breathing out during the movement. This will prevent your blood pressure from lowering.
- Breathing Is A Constant Part Of Aerobic Exercises
For aerobic exercises, continuous inhalation and exhalation with even and measured breaths is the right technique. This increases the flow of nitric oxide into your body. The effect of nitric oxide is crucial since it helps in dilating blood vessels and oxygenating blood flow, so that the heart can function much better. It also ensures that all fatigued muscles in your body receive sufficient oxygen to keep working.
It takes a steady and even breathing rhythm to maintain a steady pace during long-distance endurance sports. To maintain a proper breathing rate during endurance sports, inhale for 2-3 seconds and exhale for the same amount of time. For instance, while running long distances, take deep breaths before each step and exhale after each following step.
To Conclude
No matter how you exercise, proper breathing helps you perform at your best. You can go longer and harder without getting winded by breathing correctly while doing cardio.
Whilst we have become accustomed to breathing from our chests, breathing should always come from the belly. As a result, you recruit unnecessary muscles and only fill your lungs partially, which prevents you from getting the maximum amount of oxygen per breath. In contrast, when you breathe from your diaphragm, your stomach rises before your chest. This allows you to take deeper breaths, fill up your lungs, and get your muscles the most oxygen possible.
