Mental and physical health are the foundation of high performance. Along with the general population, those in high performance athletic environments are becoming acutely aware of the numerous benefits breathing training offers to not only performance, but athlete health as well. This is why you’ll find me working with the AFL’s Fremantle Dockers most weeks.
One breathing training method getting attention is slow, paced breathing. This involves deliberately slowing your breathing rate to around 6 cycles per minute.
This is a big drop from most people’s resting breathing rate of 12-20 cycles per minute.
This article published in Frontiers in Psychology, discusses the many benefits of slow, paced breathing for the athlete, especially during disruptive and high-stress times, such as those faced during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The article outlines how and why slow, paced breathing can,
Increase aerobic endurance through,
Improve emotional well-being via,
Enhance quality of sleep, again through the enhancement of CVA.
Expected mechanisms of action between slow, paced breathing and aerobic endurance performance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality.
One of the major benefits of slow, paced breathing is its accessibility; you don’t need any special training, equipment, devices or apps. You possess everything you need – a respiratory system.
There are a number of ways to use slow, paced breathing. One of my favourites is the 5/5 Circle Breathing exercise. This exercise couples a 5-second inhale with a 5-second exhale – 6 breath cycles per minute. Perform this exercise for 5-10 minutes, preferably via the nose.
For some, dropping their breathing rate to 6 cycles per minute can induce a stress response due to their sensitivity to Carbon Dioxide (CO2). When we slow our breathing rate, we allow more CO2 to build up in the body. As CO2 is the primary trigger to breathe, if we are sensitive to this build up, we will feel a need to increase our breathing rate rather than slow it down. If we don’t increase our breathing rate, we’ll feel as though we’re suffocating. Not particularly good for improving emotional well-being or enhancing quality of sleep.
If this sounds like you, I’d suggest starting with the excellent Breathe Light exercise from the Oxygen Advantage. The objective of this exercise is to slow the breathing rate until you feel a tolerable hunger for air. This will help you develop awareness of your breath, induce a calm, relaxed state and improve tolerance to CO2.
To do this exercise, follow along with me via the video below.
Want to reap the benefits of slow, paced breathing and learn more about the various breathing methods you can use to improve athletic performance?
Check out my Performance Enhancement Breathwork coaching service.
1. Borges U, Lobinger B, Javelle F, Watson M, Mosley E, Laborde S. Using Slow-Paced Breathing to Foster Endurance, Well-Being, and Sleep Quality in Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol. 2021;12:624655. Published 2021 May 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624655