Breathing

Wall Breathing

• Stand with your back against a wall and feet hip width and 10-12 inches from the wall
• Posteriorly tilt the pelvis to flatten the lower back against the wall
  Reach forward maximally with both hands allowing the upper back to round forward
• Hold this position for 3-5 breaths and then relax
• Repeat and perform 3-5 repetitions

Forearm Plank Breathing

• Lay face down on the floor
• Place the hands below the face palm down on the floor such that they form a diamond shape with the index fingers and thumbs
• Push through the forearms and push the shoulders forward to lift the chest and abdomen upward off the floor until weight is only on the forearms and pubic bone
• Hold the upward position and perform 3-5 full breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth
• Return to the starting position
• Repeat and perform 3-5 repetitions

Bear Breathing

• Position yourself on all fours on the floor
  Hands should be directly below the shoulders and knees directly below the hips
• Push long through the arms as if to push away from the floor until you feel a stretch between the shoulder blades
• Bring the knees off the floor until the shin is horizontal to the floor
  Hold this position as you take 3-5 full breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth
• Relax and breath normally for a few seconds
• Repeat and perform 3-5 repetitions

The great thing about these recovery breathing exercises is that they can be used just about any time.

They are incredibly easy to incorporate into a dynamic warm-up or cooldown and they can even be done outside of the gym at home. After just a couple of minutes of doing this type of breathing, you’ll often feel noticeably looser and more relaxed because they help turn on the parasympathetic nervous system.

Try incorporating a couple of these exercises into your daily routine and you’ll quickly feel the difference.