Fitness Friday's: Breathe!

Woohoo, it's finally Aloha Friday!!!!!


What better way to start your Aloha Friday than to take a deeeeeeeeep breathe!

We all don't realize but there are actually times when we are holding our breathe and most of those times it is when we are working out!  This is a bad habit but for some reason comes naturally because we all think it helps for some odd reason.  Proper breathing is ESSENTIAL during exercise such as running, swimming, yoga, weightlifting and pole dancing:).  A good breathing pattern ensures that your working muscles will continue to receive the oxygen they need to keep contracting.  Most of the time we don't think about breathing because our bodies naturally do it:).

How? 

When you inhale, air is pulled into microscopic air sacs in the lungs called alveoli, when oxygen is delivered to red blood cells and carbon dioxide is transferred from the blood to the air in the alveoli.  The oxygen-rich blood flows to your heart, which then pumps it out to your body.  You then exhale the carbon dioxide.

We like great technique!  So here are breathing techniques for you;):

Practicing and training can help you to increase your breathing effectiveness, allowing you to improve your oxygen intake!  The Chinese technique for retraining mouth breathers by practicing nose breathing.  To use this technique, take 3 quick breaths in through your nose without exhaling while at the same time raising your arms out to your sides, moving them higher with each breath to open your chest.  After the third breath, exhale and lower your arms.  Humming with exhalation is another technique you can practice.  Take as deep of a breath as you can. Hum during exhalation, pushing as much air from your your lungs as possible.

Here are some GREAT breathing exercises:

The abdominals and diaphragm are essential muscles in the breathing process, and strengthening them will allow you to breathe more easily.  Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands on your stomach, directly beneath your ribs.  Breathe in through your nose, feeling your hands rise with the expansion of the diaphragm.  Release and repeat.  Once you are comfortable with this, repeat this exercise, allowing your chest to fully expand.  There should be a rolling effect from your stomach to your chest.

Depending on the type of exercise you are engaging into your breathing will change.  The way you breathe will be up to you.  You find a pattern that best fits you and the specific exercise your are engaging in:)!  I know that my breathing patterns change when doing Hot Hula versus Pole Dance!  If you don't have a breathing pattern try and make one for yourself.  I didn't at first when I really started getting into exercise and once I got one I noticed things getting easier and feeling a lot better for me.  For example, I HATED running or jogging but that was!  I later found out that it was because I wasn't breathing in the correct pattern for me.  Once I found that pattern I was GOLDEN:)!

Well, until next Fitness Friday, work on your breathe and rock that work out even more!!!!