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Inhale, Exhale — Then Go!

Power breathing improves performance, lowers stress — even helps burn fat.
By Eric Harr, for ORGANIC FOOD BAR Inc.

Ever notice how a few nice, deep breaths instantly improve your mental and physical states? Try it right now, and you'll see what I mean. Deep breathing causes positive physiological changes in your body — and learning to breathe more efficiently is one of the most surefire ways to improve your exercise performance.

In a 2002 study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, researchers at the University of Pavia in Italy showed that people who underwent focused deep-breathing exercises before and during exercise showed higher levels of blood oxygen and were able to perform far better on exercise tests.

The more oxygen you have pumping through your bloodstream during exercise, the better you'll perform and the easier the exercise will feel. Why? Because your muscles need oxygen in order to work during exercise, and your blood flow supplies that oxygen. Increase the oxygen in your blood, and your muscles work more efficiently.

Purge the Fat, Lower the Blood Pressure

The Italian researchers also found that "low blood oxygen may impair skeletal muscle and metabolic function, and lead to higher levels of perceived exertion, muscle atrophy and exercise intolerance." Lance Armstrong, who recently won his seventh consecutive Tour de France competition, processes roughly six liters of oxygen per minute (>80ml.kg) during exercise. Compare that to three-and-a-half to four liters of oxygen per minute (35-40 ml.kg) for the average person.

Power breathing will boost the amount of oxygen you can process. This will enhance your "fat-burning" metabolism because you're providing your body with extra oxygen (your body needs plenty of oxygen present to burn fat). As a result, you'll burn more fat — everyone loves that! Power breathing also makes exercise feel easier because your body isn't constantly "struggling for air," and this gives you a greater sense of control and confidence during workouts.

But the main benefits of power breathing during exercise are that it lowers blood pressure and stress levels.

When you exercise too strenuously, your body releases adrenaline as a result of high physical stress, or what is known as the "sympathetic response." You know the feeling: As you increase your workout intensity, you begin to lose your breath, you start panting and can feel the pain markedly increase in your body.

This causes your blood pressure to rise and, over time, can result in physical fatigue, sometimes known as "adrenal exhaustion." Not fun; I've been there.

Breathing deeply — in through your nose and out through your mouth — engages a "relaxation," or "parasympathetic response," which decreases your blood pressure, lowers perceived stress levels, improves circulation, lowers your pulse rate, diminishes oxygen consumption and can create a sense of mental and spiritual well-being.

Elite Athletes and the Relaxation Response

Just watch the best athletes before their major athletic events. They are completely immersed in deep-breathing rituals. Deep breathing instantly 'centers' me and oxygenates my body, preparing me for peak physical and mental performances. This can work for anyone during any workout.
Now I'm going to teach you to breathe. Really breathe.

Sit erect and place your hands lightly over your stomach. Close your eyes and clear your mind.
Breathe in through your nose, pushing the abdominal part of the lung downward and outward. Your hands should be moving outward. The full inhalation should take at least 10 seconds — yes, that long! Your abdominals should expand just as much as or more than your chest. Visualize the oxygen swirling into your bloodstream.
When you've fully inhaled, breathe in a little more. Now a little more. Go on, challenge yourself. This will expand your lung capacity dramatically. Now hold that full inhalation for three seconds.
As you exhale slowly out of your mouth, visualize every bit of your mental and physical stress dissolving with that breath. The exhalation should take five seconds or more.

You ought to feel pretty good now! During exercise, you won't be breathing that slowly, but the idea is the same — keep your breath rate deep, relaxed and rhythmical. Remember: The point at which you "lose your breath" during exercise generally is when you are shifting from using body fat to using muscle sugar as fuel. That chemical process is not efficient and can ultimately lead to muscle breakdown, fatigue and depressed immunity.
The next time you exercise, focus more on breathing in through your nose — and into your belly, not your chest. As you gradually increase your exercise effort, use your breathing to calm yourself, to gain progressively more control over your body and mind. This is what the best athletes do during world-record performances.

If you need to expand the passageway of your nose, use Breathe-Rights. They're not just NFL fashion statements; they really work.

Use your breath to improve your workouts and to reduce stress in your daily life. This is your life. Breathe it in.

Lifestyle

ORGANIC FOOD BAR is more than a bar, it’s a lifestyle.

Eating ORGANIC FOOD BARS will enhance your health and help redefine your relationship with food. Understanding how food affects our health and making smarter, more instinctual food choices for yourself and your family each day are two essential steps to living your best life.

We founded ORGANIC FOOD BAR to help you look, feel and live healthier. It’s that simple. It’s why we’ve created the world’s healthiest food bar. It’s why we form partnerships with worthy health organizations here and aboard. It’s why we provide “official energy support” at events each year. It’s why we present the RAISE THE BAR podcast to you each week. And, it’s why we’ve created this “Live the lifestyle” section of the website.

Each week, we will post a new column here with one goal: to help you live your best life. If you have a topic you’d like us to cover, just let us know!