Inspirational

Breathing has profound effects on our entire physiology far more than merely gas exchange. Learning to harness this power from a top-down (cortical-to-brainstem) approach may reap many benefits for the athlete. To name a few, decreasing muscular tension, quelling distracting thoughts, managing stress, reducing anxiety, and improving lung capacity and oxygen flow may all help to improve an athlete's game.

A variety of breathwork techniques can easily be incorporated into a daily practice. A few techniques include box breathing (equal parts of inhale, hold, exhale, and hold inspiration and expiration), diaphragmatic breathing (breathing deeply into the diaphragm, which can help control heart rate), abdominal breathing (breathing in deeply through the nose and allowing the abdomen to rise like a balloon being filled) and breath holds (holding the breath for a few seconds before exhaling). Each practice has their unique benefits. For example, focusing on the exhale with cyclical sighing may reduce physiological arousal and improve mood (Balban et al., 2023). Different methods can be employed depending on desired outcome. The results can be 'inspirational'!