Breathing exercises to improve athletic performance
Breathing is The process of respiration, in which you inhale, exhale the air into your lungs through mouth and nose. Athletic performance depends on your method of breath. By powerful breathing all body systems are effected like respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, lymph etc.
Proper breathing exercise can enhance your stamina, athletic performance, provide relaxation and also reduce the stress, anxiety, muscle tension, fatigue etc. One of the main benefit of doing breathing exercise is also strengthening your diaphragm and chest, improve lung capacity and increased blood oxygenation.
There are different ways of practicing breathing and oxygen is the most vital nutrient for your body and respiration as oxygen is important for the cells of our body.
Breathing Exercises for Athletes to increase lung capacity:
Blow up a Balloon
This exercise causes abdominal muscles to be fully exhaled. Forcefully breath and contract the muscles of abdomen by taking deep inhalation and exhalation and repeat it several times.
Take a deep breath while sitting against the wall in the wall position and exhale by counting and expel as much air as possible.
Abdominal Hollowing
It stabilizes the spine and core muscles and it can be done by contracting and pulling the abdominal wall without the movement of spine and pelvis.
Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing provides many benefits to your body and mind. It protects energy, slows the heart rate and generally relaxes us.
It can be done as
- By Placing the hand beneath your navel and the other hand just above your navel.
- Try to breathe deeply through your nose into your hand just below your navel. Allow this area to fill just like a balloon. Next, feel your rib cage, where your other hand is, expand as the middle portion of the lungs are filled. Finally, fill the upper third of the lungs.
- Slowly exhale by contracting your belly by breathing out.
- Focus on each inhale and exhale.
- Repeat it for five to 10 minutes.
Breathing Exercises for increasing lung capacity in diseases like COPD:
Shortness of breath can cause many challenges for people having COPD so in this regard breathing exercises are best way to increase lung capacity. By relaxing your body, you will naturally breathe more easily.
In order to increase your lung capacity cellular therapy can also help you to promote healing within your lungs. Cellular therapy can be used for various respiratory disorders like COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis or another chronic lung disease.
Rib stretch, pushing out and abdominal breathing are the way to increase the lung capacity for COPD patients.
Expand a lung breathing exerciser:
The expand a lung breathing exerciser is inspiratory/expiratory breathing resistance trainer is a breakthrough product for improving endurance through better breathing and lung function. It is used to direct the respiratory muscles by creating resistance which can be regulated. It improves the inspiratory strength of the muscles.
Expand-A-Lung can work on inhalation as well as exhalation, it causes expansion of the lungs on the inhale and strengthening the muscles on the exhale.
Generally, it causes inspiratory and expiratory resistance to strengthen the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles. The end result is increased lung capacity, reduced shortness of breath, and improved cardiovascular endurance.
It has also proven to be excellent exercise for COPD patients to get rid of the trapped air in the alveoli for better gas exchange. This will definitely improve breathing and reduce shortness of breath.
- It improves shortness of breath & endurance
- It provides the best breathing exercise for athletes & COPD patients.
- It has adjustable air-flow valve provides all levels of inhaling and exhaling resistance to fulfill anyone’s needs.
Ways to reduce shortness of breath in COPD
Different techniques work differently in different people, so one technique may be better in one and useless in other. So try different techniques and then assess which one work better for you.
Paced breathing àIt is effective while climbing stairs.
Breathe through à It provides coordination between breathing and exercise
Learn to cough àWhen you have extra mucus. A controlled cough can help you to breathe.
Belly breathing à By belly breathing your diaphragm muscle between your chest and belly at the bottom of your lungs work better.
