Previously I wrote about how I use breathing to optimize my health, so this post serves to be an addition to it. I'm beginning to learn how to use certain breathing techniques depending on the situation at hand. The main breathing techniques I utilize at the moment are; box breathing, controlled hyperventilation (also known as flutter breath or breath of fire), breath holds on the exhale, and extended exhales from the mouth.

I've posted about box breathing but to recap, box breathing for me has helped improve my breathing and breathing rate during involuntary breathing, especially during sleep. I've been tracking my daily average respiratory rate and it has gone down from being around 12.5 breaths per minute on average, down to 12.1. Ultimately, I think the goal is to be breathing efficiently and optimally without having to consciously intervene with certain breathing techniques all the time, and box breathing has been the most effective for me thus far. I take a few box breaths the moment I wake up, and will do them a couple times here and there throughout the day, and then right before I go to sleep.

Controlled hyperventilation I've been utilizing as a way to stimulate my brain and body, and to boost my alertness as well as physical performance. It also helps me immediately quiet my mind and get myself out of any sort of procrastination state, which I've always been prone to. In simple terms, controlled hyperventilation will activate your sympathetic nervous system or "fight or flight", so focus and energy is shifted toward the body instead of the mind, therefore, it helps you get out of your own mind, which often can get in your way of doing things. In addition I'll consciously hyperventilate to improve athletic performance as well as gym performance. When preparing for a heavy lift I'll get my blood pumping by taking a few short and rapid breaths through the nose, and I'm ready to go! Same goes for how I get ready right before playing soccer, a few flutter breaths as they are called and I am able to focus on the game at hand. Whenever, I feel a dip in energy during a match I'll do a couple flutter breaths and it'll give me a boost in energy. Likewise when I'm about to enter a stressful situation or environment, I use this breathing technique which I've noticed helps make the potential stressful situation a lot less stressful and manageable. I do a quick round right before cold showers in the morning too, to prepare my body for the initial cold shock and it has helped me stay much more consistent with cold showers. I usually do what are called flutter breaths, which require one to take very short and quick, inhales and exhales through the nose, kind of like how the apes start breathing in Planet of the Apes when they're getting ready to fight or run. Other forms of controlled hyperventilation I know of and have tried before are the Wim Hof Method, and breath of fire.

Breath hold after the exhale comes from the building CO2 tolerance methodology at the heart of methods such as the Oxygen Advantage, Buteyko Method, and high altitude training. Box breathing also gets into a bit of building CO2 tolerance as it involves a breath hold on the exhale. For me personally, I use breath holds post exhale to activate my parasympathetic nervous system or the rest and digest state, and to help myself catch my breath during strenuous activity. Whenever I come home from training, a game, or work, I'll calm my autonomic system down by doing a few breath holds on the exhale. I also will do a couple during half time of a game, or in between recovery periods during a gym lift or sprint training.

And finally, extended exhalations through the mouth. Physiologically, when humans breathe, our heart rate will increase when we inhale, and decrease when we exhale. Autonomic nervous system wise, inhalations drive our sympathetic nervous system, and exhalations stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system. With that in mind, extended exhales from the mouth have the effect of lowering heart rate and activating our parasympathetic nervous system, therefore, inducing an immediate feeling of calm. So I usually use these when I feel myself getting overly anxious or my heart rate starts racing and I want to lower it, or during intense physical exercise when I need to regain composure. In addition to the controlled hyperventilation prior to jumping in a cold shower, I'll calm myself down with extended exhales once I'm in the shower and I've noticed my heart rate will stay a lot more stable through the whole cold exposure session. And on that note, they can also help you get through a grueling round of whatever isometrics you may put yourself through. Basically I've learned it helps you keep from getting into any sort of panic mode.

BONUS:

When I'm weight lifting something heavy and conducting a lift that requires me to stay locked in and tense through the whole rep, I'll brace with a deep inhale through the nose and hold it in until the rep is over. However, when I'm doing something physical that requires a short burst of explosiveness or power I forcefully exhale either from the mouth or nose right as I engage in the movement.

And in terms of general breathing rate, I aim to breath in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds to maintain balance and homeostasis.

What breathing techniques have helped your life?

What are non negotiables within your life that you have to maintain good health?