Breathwork Core Concepts

Breathing is automatic, but paying attention to its nuances can significantly enhance your experience in life, strength training and yoga. This blog explores the core concepts and practical applications of breathwork, and how it can be a powerful tool in your fitness journey.

Breathing as Homeostasis

Breathing is more than just the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide; it's a vital function that influences multiple systems in the body. At its core, breathing helps maintain homeostasis—the body's ability to regulate its internal environment and maintain a stable, balanced state. Proper breathing supports essential functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. These are important for overall wellbeing.

Breathing for Calm

In addition to its physiological roles, breathing is a powerful tool for calming the mind and body. Deep, intentional breaths can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which counters the body's stress response, creating a sense of relaxation and mental clarity. Whether you're dealing with stress at work or preparing for a challenging workout, conscious breathing can help restore calm and focus.

Breathing and Movement

Breathing is intimately connected to how we move. Each breath influences and is influenced by our posture and movement patterns. Rather than aiming for a "perfect" static posture, it's important to recognize that dynamic, adaptable movement is key to maintaining a healthy body. Modern sedentary lifestyles often lock us into static postures, such as sitting for extended periods, which can create imbalances in the body and eventually the breath. A stiff ribcage and thoracic spine, along with tight hip flexors and shortened hamstrings, are key contributors to this phenomenon. Their effects on pelvic alignment, spinal posture, rib and diaphragmatic position can limit the natural expansion and mobility needed for effective breathing.

By intentionally focusing on breath with movement, we can counteract these imbalances and promote better mobility. Breathing through natural spinal movements—such as flexion, extension, and rotation encourages a dynamic posture that remains strong and adaptable in all positions, rather than static, weak, and rigid in a handful of postures.

Core Bracing

Core bracing is fundamental in strength training. Imagine your core as a canister that needs stabilization. Proper breathing and core bracing protect your spine and enhance lifting performance. Deep breaths create intra-abdominal pressure, acting like an internal weightlifting belt, providing support and reducing injury risk.

Pranayama

Pranayama, rooted in yoga, refers to breath control. It’s the fourth of eight limbs of yoga, emphasizing the importance of breath for balance and harmony. Pranayama enhances yoga practice and aids in autoregulation—the body’s ability to manage stress. Incorporating pranayama into your routine improves mental clarity so you can access your own flow during your next yoga class.

Breath Awareness

1. How does my breathing inform my energy levels and performance?

2. What can I change about my breathing to better align with my current intention?

3. Am I breathing deeply into my diaphragm or shallowly into my chest?

4. Is my breath steady and controlled, or erratic and shallow?

5. Am I aware of how my breath changes during different movements or exercises?

6. How does my breath influence my ability to brace my core during lifts or hold poses in yoga?

Differences in Breathing for Strength Training and Yoga

There are some differences in breathing related to the distinct goals of each practice.

In strength training, such as during a squat, you inhale and brace on the way down and exhale on the way up. This method, known as the Valsalva maneuver, helps maintain intra-abdominal pressure and core stability. The focus is on maximizing support and power during heavy lifts.

In yoga, breathing is often synchronized with movement to enhance the flow and mindfulness of the practice. For instance, when moving into a goddess pose, you typically exhale on the way down and inhale as you stand up into a five-pointed star. This breathing pattern promotes relaxation and a smooth transition between poses.

Useful Applications

90/90 Breathing with Heavy Medball

90/90 breathing teaches canister bracing. Lie on your back with hips and knees at 90 degrees, holding a heavy medball on your stomach. Focus on deep diaphragmatic breathing, feeling your abdomen expand against the ball. This exercise provides additional external stimulus to help you develop the skill of intra-abdominal pressure. This can also be learned and applied dynamically through heavy sandbag carries.

Breathing During Heavy Compound Lifts

In heavy compound lifts like squats or deadlifts, proper breathing enhances performance and safety. Take a deep breath before the lift, brace your core, and hold your breath until you reach the top of the lift. Exhale only after the most strenuous part. This maximizes intra-abdominal pressure, providing better support for your spine.

Breathing During Dynamic, Athletic Movements

Dynamic athletic movements require quick, multi-directional actions challenging breath control. Maintaining a steady rhythm sustains energy and focus during rapid, explosive actions. Use your breath to stabilize during quick changes in direction. Exhaling during exertion and inhaling during recovery phases helps maintain balance and control. Be aware of how your breath changes with different planes of movement—jumping, sprinting, or lateral shuffles—to improve performance and prevent breath-holding, which leads to fatigue. Controlled breathing also helps manage stress and maintain calm under high-intensity scenarios, keeping your mind clear and reactions sharp.

Ujjayi Pranayama

Ujjayi pranayama, or ocean breath, involves breathing in and out through the nose while slightly constricting the throat. This creates a sound similar to ocean waves, promoting a calm, meditative state. Practicing Ujjayi pranayama helps maintain focus, improve lung capacity, and enhance overall yoga practice. Aim to maintain this in both calmer and more chaotic sections of the class. If you fall out, don't worry, just drop back in!

Recovery Breathing - Box Breathing

Box breathing is a simple yet effective recovery technique. Inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold again for four counts. This method calms the nervous system, reduces stress, and promotes recovery after intense physical activity.

Recovery Breathing: 4-7-8

The 4-7-8 breathing method is another powerful recovery technique. Inhale for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale for eight counts. This practice reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep quality. It’s a fantastic tool after a strenuous workout or before bedtime.

In Closing

Breathwork is more than just breathing; it's about harnessing the power of your breath to enhance your physical and mental performance. Incorporating these techniques into your strength training and yoga routines can improve core stability, mental clarity, and overall well-being.

For those in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area looking to elevate their physical and mental performance, we offer specialized fitness programs and classes tailored to your needs. Whether you’re interested in mastering breathwork for strength training, enhancing your yoga practice, or integrating both for holistic fitness, our sessions provide the perfect environment for growth. Join our popular fitness programs and start your journey toward improved fitness today. Contact us to learn more about our offerings and how we can help you breathe and grow stronger together.