When you consider all the ways you enjoy movement in your daily routine, how often do you stop to consider your breath or the changing rhythms of each inhale and exhale? Unless we are doing an intense cardio workout, we may not even notice the rise and fall of our breathing, being so involved in the exercise itself. While we can forget to check in with the unconscious act of breathing, paying closer attention to it can actually improve our fitness results.
First off, when I begin any workout routine, be that personal training, strength training, yoga, running or climbing, I begin with setting an intention. That can be a certain distance I want to complete, a number or repetitions I want to get in or simply how I wish to feel during and after the practice. When things feel challenging or push me past my comfort zone, I come back to my intention to regain focus and reconnect back with my original goals. This helps me dig a little deeper to achieve what I set out to do. Sometimes my goals are bigger, designed to gain new personal bests, but sometimes they are less monumental but equally important, like simply showing up for my daily workout. Having an intention, either way, always helps me accomplish what I set out to do in healthy, positive, result-oriented ways.
When it comes to breathing patterns, your inhale and exhale are something you can use to shift your focus to during your training. Breathing in during moments of tension, like when you are lifting weights or holding a yoga asana, can help you sink in deeper and become more present in the experience. Breathing out when you set the weights down or release the pose, can help with the retraction of your muscles and with letting go of tension after the movement has been performed. When you breathe intentionally, steering your breath in tandem with the motions of your body, you can uncover the most impactful results, in your body and in your thought patterns, leaving you feeling balanced and grounded the rest of your day.
If you’d like to experience intentional breathing practices, join a yoga or personal training session with me and I’ll guide you to feel into your breath as one of your greatest tools.
– Kelly