Breathing for Better Recovery, Better Performance
We breathe over 20,000 times per day. To say breathing is central to life would be an understatement; it’s something that just happens yet we rarely stop to think about.
And while the act of breathing is an automatic process, there’s so much more to it than just inhale, exhale, repeat. Unlike other automatic functions like the heart beating, we have the unique ability to override automatic respiration and consciously control the rhythm of our breathing to shift our energetic states.
The Opportunity
And herein lies a massive opportunity to manipulate your energy and control your thoughts using the pathway of the breath.
Think about it, how many times have you been able to calm yourself down from an emotional experience, recover from panting - or hyperventilation - after a burst of exercise, or become more focused before a big performance by thinking about the rate and pace of your breath?
It’s an opportunity a large majority of the population overlook - or just don’t know about - and one I’d like to help spotlight because from a holistic perspective, it’s a training technique that once explored and practiced, can change your life and your performance as an athlete. It did for me.
“Breathing affects your respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, muscular, and psychic systems, and also has a general effect on your sleep, memory, ability to concentrate, and your energy levels.” – Donna Farhi
Conscious breathing is also a foundational pillar of the training method that I teach and many times, the most transformational tool my clients learn that helps them get better results.
As a former division 1 volleyball player, conscious, controlled breathing has helped me to:
manage performance anxiety
everyday mental stress
increase my mental and physical stamina
And while I wish I was educated about the power of conscious breathing sooner - like back when I was a youth athlete - it’s a practice that once learned, will benefit your performance and well-being indefinitely.
Why it Matters
There is an energy or prana (Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras), as it’s called in the yogic tradition, that flows in and out of the body with each breath we take. And it’s this energy, this vital life force, that keeps us alive (we can only last a few minutes without it) and is the driving force behind health, longevity, and overall well-being. And while the list of physical, psychological and physiological benefits of conscious breathing are quite long, for today I’ll focus on the energetic benefits for athletes and high performers.
Let’s start with the energy required to perform at the highest level. It can feel like you need endless amounts of go-go juice in your energy tank to sustain intense training days and maintain your stamina. But we all know that we are not machines, and your body truly needs quality rest and stillness to perform at your best time and time again.
This is where I see the greatest opportunity for breathwork (Pranayama as it’s called in the yogic tradition) and conscious breathing; at the layer of the nervous system. Because the nervous system gets hit hard with all the stress and strain it receives from overtraining (and many of us are overdoing it), and if we don’t allow the nervous system to rest, then we won’t have any gas left in the tank to accelerate and perform.
Studies have shown conscious breathing allows you to manipulate your energy, promote rest and relaxation when you need it most, and on the flip side, ignite your energy when necessary.
”Conscious breathing heightens awareness and deepens relaxation.” – Dan Brule
How it Works
In my experience as a competitive athlete and experienced yoga practitioner, harnessing the breath for rest and recovery is the most impactful.
When you’re training for hours on end and only have a short amount of time to reset in your day, conscious breathing with an emphasis on the exhale, can activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This promotes deep healing and repair. It also allows for deactivation of the sympathetic nervous system which is associated with the inhale, and tends be on hyper alert, pumping out the stress hormone, cortisol, in unhealthy amounts.
To put it simply, conscious breathing allows for you to tap into the resting, passive side of the breath (the exhale) and calm the overstimulating, active side of the breath (the inhale). When you pay attention to your exhale, you can start to balance your energy meter and get higher quality rest.
In doing so, you’re using the breath as this bridge between your physical body to reach the mind; benefiting not just your muscles and tissues, but allowing your thoughts and emotions to settle down and get quiet. These moments of stillness that follow a slow, intentional breath allow you to channel your attention and prepare for deep focus and quality performance.
“To meditate with mindful breathing is to bring body and mind back to the present moment so that you do not miss your appointment with life.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Here’s a beginner-friendly 2-1 ratio (exhalation at a duration twice as long as inhalation) breathing exercise to help you get started. In this practice, we’ll focus on lengthening the exhale to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, the calming part of the nervous system, and reset the mental and physical body.
Start seated or lying down; whatever position is comfortable and least distracting for you
Pay attention to how you’re breathing in and out through your nose, naturally and without trying to control your breathing
Think about the breath becoming full and round; moving in and out, even and smooth
Now on your next exhalation find a pause and slight breath suspension at the bottom of your exhale; not holding just extending the breath
Inhale naturally
Gradually start to extend your exhale by a count of 1 second
Inhale naturally
Extend your exhale each round by a count of 1 second until you find a 2:1 ratio with your exhale twice as long as your inhale
Repeat this cycle of 2:1 ratio breathing 5-8 times
Let your breath return to a balanced 1:1 ratio
Your breath and energy go hand-in-hand. When you consciously change your breath, your energy and emotions shift and it’s this synergistic relationship that offers a pathway to change how you feel, restore your energy, and train your mind for greatness.
And while building a breathing practice requires commitment and consistency, it can be simple once you get the foundation down.
And once you do, you'll likely find yourself moving from fizzling out at the finish line to crossing with ease; from fatigued most of the time to energized more of the time; from feeling energetically “off” to feeling balanced and confident as a high performing individual.
If you’re looking to incorporate more holistic methods - like conscious breathwork - into your athletic performance training, click here to schedule your free discovery call. I’d love to learn how I can help you.
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*Other sources: Jerath, R., Edry J.W, Barnes, V.A., and Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypothesis, 67, 566-571