Improve Your Technique

Breathing fully and deeply is important in helping you reach your fitness goals. It will have an effect on your workout and how you feel during exercise. If you aren’t focusing on proper breathing technique, exercise may seem more difficult than it needs to. And you may not be taking in enough air to help ignite the burning of fat. Here are some commonly asked questions about how to breathe during exercise:


1. During the “effort”/exertion phase, what’s better: breathing in or breathing out?
Most professionals will tell you to breathe out on the effort phase of an exercise. That means if you’re doing an abdominal crunch, you would breathe out when lifting the trunk. However, this isn’t an absolute must. If you feel more comfortable breathing out during the effort, go for it. The most important thing is that you breathe.

2. What will happen if I don’t breathe enough?
You could find yourself with side stitches. The more rigorous the activity, the more you should breathe and in a steady pattern. Get into a regular rhythm and keep the pace constant. It will help you supply your body with the right amount of oxygen and give you something to focus on. And, your brain will function better too.

3. Is it possible to breath too much or too often?
Well, you could hyperventilate…but it’s pretty unlikely during exercise. When walking or running, get into a steady pattern of breathing out on every fourth step (or any number that feels comfortable for you). For each activity you do, there will be a pattern that feels right. Find that pattern and stick to it.

4. Should I hold my breath during weight work?
No. Holding your breath while bearing down can push blood pressure up significantly. You can also reduce blood flow to your brain and increase pressure in your chest – both of which could be dangerous while exercising.


Pay attention to your body: be aware of your breathing during exercise
The best advice is to become aware of your breathing during your exercise sessions. Think about pushing air out forcefully more than on sucking it in. Breathe in through the nose but realize that when you start working harder you may not be able to bring in enough air that way. If needed, breathe through your mouth. The more serious you are about working out, the more important proper breathing is. Deep breathing can result in a 1-2% competitive edge increase among athletes. That may just mean the difference between winning and losing. So, get into a rhythm, stick to it each time you exercise and you’ll enjoy your workouts more.


By Michele Silence. DietChannel.com. Sept 2006.
Edited for content by FT Lake Forest Staff.

Another Great Reason for Exercise!

People suffering from anxiety can find some relief through regular exercise, University of Georgia researchers report.

Anxiety frequently accompanies chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, and the constant strain can interfere with treatment for those conditions, the researchers say. “While we might expect symptoms of anxiety to be elevated among individuals coping with a chronic medical condition, symptoms may be unrecognized or untreated,” said Matthew Herring, a doctoral student in the department of kinesiology and the study’s lead author.
Though the role of exercise in alleviating depression symptoms has been well-studied, the impact on anxiety symptoms has received comparatively little attention. “The findings of our review add to the growing body of evidence that physical activities such as walking or weight lifting may be low-cost, effective treatments to help alleviate anxiety symptoms among patients,” Herring said.

For the study, published Feb. 22 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Herring’s team reviewed 40 trials that included 2,914 people with various medical conditions, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer and chronic pain from arthritis. In 90 percent of the studies, people assigned an exercise program had fewer symptoms of anxiety — including feelings of worry, apprehension and nervousness — than did those not assigned to exercise, the researchers found.

In fact, regular exercise was shown to reduce anxiety symptoms by 20 percent. “Even though the majority of these patient groups did not have extremely elevated anxiety symptom scores at the beginning of exercise training, anxiety symptoms were still reduced,” Herring said.

Exercising for 30 minutes was more effective in reducing anxiety than shorter periods of exercise, the study found. However, exercise programs that lasted three to 12 weeks were more effective than programs that ran more than 12 weeks, the researchers noted.

“Results showed that patients were more likely to adhere to, or stick with, shorter duration exercise programs, which might account for larger anxiety reductions compared to longer program durations,” Herring said. “Stated another way, better participation rates likely will result in greater anxiety reductions.”

Tracie Rogers, a sport and exercise psychologist and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, said that regular physical activity doesn’t just make us feel better but has “measurable results in reducing anxiety.”

“Exercise not only influences your physical health for the better but also your mental health,” she said. And people already getting treatment for anxiety would still benefit from exercise, she said. “For people who are dealing with clinical anxiety who are in therapy or on anti-anxiety medication, it is extremely beneficial for them to be involved in an exercise program,” Rogers said. “It has real anxiety-reducing effects, just like those drugs do.” Unwanted side effects keep some people from taking anxiety medications, Rogers said. “Exercise is a real good alternative to that,” she said.




By Steven Reinberg. HealthDay Reporter. Copyright 2010.
Edited for Content by FT Lake Forest Staff.