Our San Jose personal trainers are going to let you in on a little secret that might be a big surprise… but it has an impact on almost everything. The way you breathe matters! We used to roll our eyes when people talked about the importance of breathing for your digestion, your workouts, sleep, and on and on… How could something so simple and automatic matter so much? But once we started paying attention to how we breathe (specifically nostril breathing and belly breathing), it made a huge difference for us. We think it might for you, too. Here’s why: When you breathe through your mouth or breathe shallowly, it puts your body into a low-level state of stress. Most people don’t even realize this is happening, which means it can sneakily drain your energy, affect your posture, raise your stress, slow your recovery, and even impact your sleep and digestion. The good news is that you can get in sync with your breathing in just a couple of minutes a day, and the payoffs are totally worth it. How to put it into action… Here are two quick drills San Jose trainers suggest you can use to help retrain your breathing patterns. Choose whichever one feels easiest. While you’re doing these drills, notice any areas that feel tense, tight, or like they are “on guard” against the world. Option 1: The 4-second nose-breathing break • Continue for 1 to 2 minutes This helps calm your nervous system and encourages deeper, more efficient breathing. Option 2: The hand-on-belly check-in This helps you shift from upper-chest breathing to true diaphragmatic breathing, which helps your body’s calming “rest and digest” nervous system to kick in. Personally, if our San Jose trainers have noticed that if they wake up at night, they do a mini belly-breathing session, and it almost always helps them get back to sleep. It also helps immediately feel the areas of the body that carry all the stress… and helps relax them! Take two minutes today to check in with your breathing. Choose one of the drills above and repeat it once per day this week. You may be surprised by how quickly your body responds! Committed to Your Success, Method3 Fitness is conveniently located in San Jose. Our team of personal fitness trainers serve clients in Los Gatos, Campbell, Willow Glen and other surrounding Bay Area cities. If you found this blog useful, be sure to let us know and SHARE it on your favorite channel!
• Sit or stand comfortably
• Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds
• Exhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds
• Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly
• Inhale through your nose and see if you can get the belly to rise first
• Exhale slowly and let the shoulders relax
• Continue for 1 to 2 minutes
The Method3 Fitness Team