Breathing during exercise

Breathing and Exercising

Even though we might not realize it, breathing is a crucial part of any physical activity. By breathing properly you are capable of increasing your performance significantly and perform the exercises you are doing with more effect and intensity also with proper breathing while doing exercises, you will prevent hyperventilation during extreme physical efforts as well as many other problems of this type. Thus, one may only benefit from knowing these crucial aspects of working out and being physically active. If you want to learn how to breathe correctly while you are being physically active, perhaps the following lines may help you.

Benefits of Proper Breathing While Exercising

Firstly, there is the calorie burning. Namely, you need to breathe properly in order for your calories to be used adequately, since your body needs constant, sufficient and equal delivery of oxygen during your physical activities.

If you hold your breath while exposing to excessive physical effort, like weight lifting, your blood pressure may rise critically, causing you to lose your consciousness. Therefore, proper breathing regulates your blood as well, boosting your performance in this respect too. Similarly, if you stop breathing for a while, you will need to compensate for your air loss later, leading to hyperventilation, which is counterproductive in itself. In order to avoid this unpleasant state, you are highly advised to pay attention to your breathing patterns, since proper breathing can enable you to exercise even if you suffer from some respiratory problems. Finally, once you are breathing correctly, you whole workout pattern makes more sense, which enables you to focus better and, thus, be more productive.

How to Breathe While Exercising?

As far as strength training is concerned, you are advised to exhale every time you are relieving yourself from the pressure the exercise imposes upon you. Thus, while performing push-ups, for example, you are to breathe in while lowering your body to the ground, exhaling as soon as you start pushing yourself up.

While performing cardio and anaerobic exercises, you should take deep breaths, using your abdomen and not only your chest, nose or throat during the process of respiration. This provides you more oxygen and, since you need it, this can only make your workout better.

The same goes for stretching exercises, where your breathing should be deep and slow, allowing all that oxygen to enter your body and give you strength and concentration while, at the same time, relaxing you.