2017 has officially ended, and 2018 is here! For myself, and many others at the beginning of the year, a New Year’s Resolution for the BODY is a must after four quick turnaround holidays and leftovers the last 60+days of the year. Easily gaining 20lbs since late October, my BODY needs a step in the right direction. Although my training goals will soon follow a more strict routine, for now I’ll need to take things slowly. Reading into many athletic books for training, mindsets, routines, one point of emphasis I’ve often come across is the importance of breathing properly.

Though this isn’t the standard breathing, or routines, below is a quick breathing exercise I’ve been using (often in bed after my wife begins her breakfast, or while still mentally waking up while relaxed under the water in the shower, or while I sit). Due to the end of the exercise, it is best/safest to do this while laying down or sitting.

Approx. 3min BODY Activity
Use a stop watch if it helps you. Take a slow & full breath at a 6sec count through your nose, hold for 2sec, breathe out through your mouth at a slow 6sec count (repeat x3 times). While continuing the breathing exercise, slowly tighten your lower body muscles (do your best effort not to tighten your upper body) during the 6sec count, hold your lower-body muscles tight for three cycles of the breathing exercise, slowly relax your muscles over the last 6sec count of the 3rd breathing cycle. Now, while continuing the breathing exercise again, slowly tighten your upper body muscles (again, do your best effort not to tighten your lower body this time) during the 1st 6sec count, hold your muscles tight for three breathing cycles, then slowly relax your muscles over the last 6sec count of the 3rd cycle for upper body. With your muscles relaxed, take a quick 2sec deep breath in through your mouth using a belly breath to hold your breath, hold 5sec, slowly breath out through your nose for a 6sec count until your air is empty, but now vacuum suck your stomach muscles in pushing any last breath out, hold this vacuum for as long as you can for 3-10sec to start based on your comfort level, until you reach a maximum 30sec count without risk of fainting.
END OF 1st BODY ACTIVITY 🙂

I’ve been doing this exercise one-three times a day for four days and really enjoy the final stage. After the deep breathing cycles, the last stage of holding the vacuum for about 15-20sec (my comfort level at this stage), when I take in that 1st breath of air it really recharges me. After about five more rapid breaths to catch my breath, it gives an appreciation for breathing temporarily, since we often nearly ignore the act of breathing throughout our day.

Although this exercise is intended as a simple one time activity for the BODY, I will be coming back to other breathing exercises here and there. However, personally I enjoy using this exercise while laying in bed in the morning to help wake myself. Those few brief seconds holding the vacuum and breath gives my body that temporary fight/flight instinct of survival to add a small dose of adrenaline to aid waking up.

Until next time, keep LivingLife, and take care of yourself and those you love!

Have comments/questions? Please feel free to email me at my2cents@livinglife-blog.com

“Remember, I’m NOT a qualified doctor, trainer, physiologist, philosopher, or have any other certified qualification. I’m only someone who’s passionate to learn & develop personal skills, habits, goals & finding a balance life-style, while sharing my journey through experiences.

– Developer of LivingLife-Blog”