Getting fit: A busy persons guide to fitness & mindful breathing
When it comes to finding your go-to fitness routine, it can take a lot of trial and error. Whether it be running, swimming, yoga, or weightlifting, at some point you have to try a little of everything to determine what form of physical activity is right for your body. While training for marathons may be beneficial for your best friend, it may not be the best fit for you. I recommend finding a fitness routine that leaves your body feeling uplifted and energized, rather than drained and exhausted.
The never ending workflow calls for incorporating more time for fitness and self-empowerment! It’s time for you to bring positive energy into your busy schedule, so try and aim for twenty to thirty minutes of getting sweaty each day. Start by bringing attention to the sensations in your body, how do you feel and what do you need to re-energize you? Give a quick workout a try and invest a little time in yourself daily. The reward is a clearer mindset, and stronger ability to accomplish everything on your to-do list. When you pause for a workout, you’ll enable your mind to recharge, refocus, and increase new energy for productivity & creativity.
Quick side note: I’m not a personal trainer, but I do have multiple years of experience running & competing in races, along with swimming and yoga being a few of my favorite workouts/hobbies. I’ve created this fitness guide to hopefully shed some light on what I’ve learned with regards to an integrative approach to fitness and how much your breathe impacts your athletic ability.
We must retrain our body to breath in a way that nourishes our body as a whole.
It all starts with your breathe
Before you get thrown off by the idea that this is “just breathing,” you must remember that you’re working out very important muscles in your body; your lungs! Your breathe is the most life-changing medicine you can take. Your breathe will relax & calm you in times of worry or stress, and your breathe can help energize you when you need an extra boost. Your breathe is always there for you & fuels every cell in your body. Learning how to breathe during exercise, is one of the easiest “life hacks” to fix any kind of anxiety, breathlessness, pain, or stress that occurs when exerting your body. Changing the way you breathe makes an immediate impact on your mind & body, and the way you exercise. This impact takes place both at the cellular and muscular level, and helps supply oxygen to your muscles for proper muscle repair between workouts.
Analyze & correct your breathing
Breathing is the first thing we do when we’re born, and what we do every second of our lives until our last breathe. Everyone breathes, however, not everyone breathes correctly. It’s not until we recognize the effects & problems that occur with poor breathing habits that we make a change. Learning how to breathe correctly during exercise and during daily life will ultimately be the most profound change you’ve ever made. As simple as it is, so little people breathe mindfully and it’s up to you to make that change.
Step 1: Determine what’s wrong with your breathing
Since you can’t exactly see yourself breathing, or your lungs, it’s important to notice a few key factors that contribute to poor breathing habits. You must determine how your lifestyle if affected by your breathing, if you’re constantly stressed or under high amounts of pressure in your day to day job you may acquire a shallow form of breathing over the years. If you’re always striving and pursuing what your passionate about each day, maybe your breathing is a bit more drawn out or larger. This will help you determine ways to improve your breathe, by simply analyzing your lifestyle.
Step 2: Create a workout for yourself
Start by breathing in through your nose and out through your nose, & hold it for eight counts in and out each time. It doesn’t matter if you try this breathing exercise to address stress, get energized, to perform better, or to get more oxygen to your lungs. But what does matter, is that your addressing your old breathing habits, correcting them, and ultimately benefiting from your new breathing technique. You can practice your new workout in a silent meditation or at a yoga class, it really doesn’t matter, as long as you’re able to successfully connect with your breathe. You have far more power over how you feel than you realize, and taking control of your breathing will prove that.
Once you start your new workout, you’ll notice right away that your brain feels less foggy, you’ll be able to unwind at the end of the day, you’ll be much less stressed, and whatever pain you may be experiencing will subside. The best way to take care of yourself is through breathing, since all chronic pain, suffering, and disease is caused by a lack of oxygen at the cellular level. When you start implementing proper breathing techniques in your day to day routine, you’ll be able to nourish every cell in your body & optimize your body’s functions on a deeper level.
Step 3: Improve your quality of life & Longevity
Poor breathing will often put you at a higher risk for multiple health problems such as, cognitive problems, emotional health, back issues, low energy, hypertension, digestive problems, and poor sleep habits. It’s important to prevent these problems from happening, and one of the best ways to do so is through your breathe. You must first tame your thoughts, wherever you may be, just start by quieting your mind so you an hear yourself think. Then you must distance yourself from the past and bring awareness to the present moment, and calm yourself enough so you can hear your inner voice. This will enable you to feel more centered with your breathe, more balanced, and more connected to your own feelings and to those of others. Once you’ve created your ideal mental state you can begin your breathing in and out through your nose and holding each breathe for five to eight counts.
Breathing EXERCISE’s to improve your athletic ability
You’ve probably felt how gasping for air feels like some point during a workout, and when you can’t catch your breath even if you’re breathing as fast as you can. If you stop an exercise because you’re out of breathe, it’s not because you’re arms & legs are giving out, it’s really due to you trying to “catch your breathe.” You aren’t able to get enough air in and out of your body fast enough to drive whatever you’re doing, so you stop. But what if you could get enough air in & out fast enough? The good news is: You can! By strengthening the muscles that pull the air in & push the air out of your body (aka your lungs). Regular exercise won’t workout your breathing muscles, and that’s because you aren’t exercising the muscles to the point of exhaustion when they actually begin working. You must workout your breathing muscles separately to gain the benefits of longer more stronger workouts.
Calling all athletes who want better conditioning & stronger endurance! Whether it’s for cross fit, swimming, training for a marathon, weight lifting, or yoga, there are two major goals we should all strive towards for improving our athletic ability:
First we must add oxygen to our blood. If you do hours of cardio to improve the circulation of blood driven by your heart in order to get more oxygen to your body, then why not try adding more oxygen to your blood instead? In order to do so, it’s important to make sure that every breath you take is large & energized, since breathing takes up energy and it’s important to make each breath as large as possible.
Secondly, you must incorporate breathing into your workout. Most of the time when you get tired from a workout, it’s typically due to your breathing muscles getting tired. You can incorporate breathing into your exercise routine by practicing yoga or a daily meditation that involves mindful breathing techniques.
Cardio is great, but here’s the catch
Cardio or aerobic exercise is crucial in keeping us healthy. It’s a type of activity that can strengthen your heart muscle by improving its ability to pump blood & oxygen throughout the body. Cardio has a wide range of benefits, but your heart can only have as much oxygen as you bring into your body. While cardio may be giving your heart a great workout, the downside is it does nothing to bulk up the power of your lungs. It doesn’t improve the flexibility of your bones, tendons or muscles that make up your chest wall, or even strengthen your inhale & exhale muscles. In other words, you can have the heart of a pro athlete but the lungs & breathing muscles of someone who never works out. Just because you train until you’re sweating or gasping for air doesn’t mean you’re actually working out the specific muscles that make for better breathing.
With that being said, I’m also not trying to discourage anyone to quite training for their next triathlon, marathon, or swim competition. But what I do suggest is understanding how important it is to incorporate more mindful breathing techniques into your exercise routine. This will enable you to not only improve your lung capacity, but also your athletic ability.
How I practice proper breathing techniques as a runner:
I’ve been a distance runner since I was in seventh grade, and I just finished competing in my last season of cross country this past fall. Through my running years, I’ve learned some great breathing techniques to help strengthen my endurance & stamina. My coach always promoted proper breathing, and how we must allow our breathe to guide us through each race. Good running always starts with our breathing and we must deliver as much oxygen to our lungs as we can, so we can run further for longer.
Three Mindful breathing techniques to practice while running:
Breathing low will help you stay balanced while running. Whereas breathing vertically will actually put your center of gravity higher, which causes imbalance.
Breathing low also helps with a more efficient breath, using less energy & creating more energy. A bigger breath means you have more flexibility to regulate your breathing to match your stride when running.
Lower-body breaths calm your system, so you can get in the right mindset or “in the zone” while running faster or when competing in a race. Synchronizing your breath to your running rhythm will keep your organs from putting unnecessary pressure on the diaphragm.
5 exercises to improve athletic performance
Exhale when exerting energy: The exhale will help strengthen whatever you’re doing, especially weight lifting or bench press. Check in at how often you’re holding your breath & try integrating your breath into your movement.
Face your enemies: Your worst enemy during a workout is fatigue. You can eliminate this enemy by working out your breathing muscles diligently. Be sure to check in as to how often you’re lacking focus, energy, or motivation during your workout, to make sure your breathing isn’t off.
Breath horizontally: Your second worst enemy is adrenaline and breathing vertically causes this. Make sure you’re taking lower body breaths, giving you significantly bigger breaths & mentally calming breaths.
Exhale: Avoid hyperventilating during your workouts. People often brace when they’re in competitive situations, which can lead to over breathing or hyperventilating afterward. You must tell yourself to exhale.
If your sport relies on precision, then it’s important to learn how to recognize and expand the stillness in the last second of your exhale. When you begin recovery breathing, be sure to bring attention to the stillness that you feel between breaths.
Key takeaways for improved exercise:
The harder you workout your inhale & exhale muscles, the less you’ll wear yourself out when practicing or competing.
Stress in the body raises cortisol in your muscles, and ends up getting worse through excess diaphragm tension. By adopting mindful breathing exercises, you’ll be able to reduce stress and tension within the body and promote more relaxed muscles.
Yoga: The practice for lifelong well-being
“Yoga is evenness of the mind-a peace that is ever the same.”-Bhagavad Gita
A brief history of yoga
Many people, myself included, used to believe yoga was only about stretching. However, yoga as an exercise system is only a very small part of a much larger tradition and a very recent development in the history of yoga. Yoga is thousands of years old, but what yogis where doing thousands of years ago had nothing to do with tree pose or sun salutations. Early yogis where spiritual seekers and in order for them to pursue this goal, they developed practices including meditation and breathe control. This allowed early yogis to concentrate on freeing their minds from distraction to focus on the present moment. The original goal of yoga, still similar to today, is to gain piece of mind. The original yogis where Hindu, but the yoga teachings they developed for quieting the mind were so effective and so profound that yoga has been adopted by many other religions around the world. Today yoga is practiced by everyone, whether they believe in Buddhism or not. It’s practiced by religious & even non-religious people all around the world, and it enables anyone to reap the detoxifying & clarifying benefits yoga is known for.
The Benefits of yoga
Your body is the only body you’ll ever have and it’s worth enjoying, nurturing, and protecting. I recommend implementing yoga into your daily routine if you wish to improve the following:
Strength, flexibility, and balance.
Agility
Mental sharpness & Mental clarity
Brain & Nervous system health
Heart & Cardiovascular health
Stress levels
Yoga is not having a practice, it is a “being” practice. Being is timeless and “being” practices are always in the process of improving, yet they never end. We cannot run marathons without habits and practices that deliver a high level of fitness. In yoga, the cultivation of happiness and freedom works the same way. Like attracts like, and when we are in low-vibration patterns the world seems to be with us. The same is true as we take up high-vibration practices, such as yoga.
“Yoga, of course, is so much more than postures. It’s real power lies in the domain of mind training and self-transformation.”-George Feuerstein
Yoga for longevity
Even though scientists haven’t discovered how to slow, stop, or reverse aging, scientific studies done on people who lived long healthy lives provide us with enough solid evidence that there are many steps we can take to improve our health & quality of life as we age. Yoga is one of the best practices to prolong your life and help improve the effects of aging. Whether you’re looking to boost metabolism, reduce joint inflammation, or reduce stress, yoga can help you live a vibrant life full of energy and vitality.
Yoga for healthy eating
Chronic stress cannot only cause digestive problems, but it can also trigger the release of cortisol which can cause overeating and weight gain by stimulating your appetite. Using your yoga practice to reduce your stress and cortisol levels is one of the most important things you can do to move toward healthy eating. Many poor eating habits are just habits, simple as that. But by mindfully practicing yoga and meditation, you’ll be able to break old habits and tune into your body instead of ignoring it.
How yoga has changed me
Yoga has helped me to clear my mind of negativity or any limiting beliefs and it helps me refocus my energy toward gratitude and positivity. The moment I finish a sweaty yoga flow class, I immediately feel a sensation of pure bliss and detoxification. I feel refreshed and re-energized, which is a feeling I don’t often get from other workouts. For me, yoga is so much more than just physical work and has become more about the mental, emotional, and spiritual work I put in. Yoga is a journey, and there are challenges. There are times when I struggle to be present, authentic, compassionate, loving and all the other qualities that the yoga community values. However, I don't believe that makes me any less of a yogi. Instead, I believe it makes me more human.
Whether I practice in the morning or in the evening, yoga will always be my go-to happy place for when I’m feeling less clear about a vision I may have, or if I’m sore from running. Yoga always provides my body with an energizing opportunity to burn toxins and set powerful intentions for a productive & creative day.
My fitness routine & How I recover
I’ve tried almost every form of physical activity there is, from running cross country, competitive swimming, weight lifting, yoga and hiking, I’ve tried it all! Over the years I’ve found that I enjoy cardio & toning workouts the most, neither of them feel like a chore for me and I believe that’s one of the most important factors in finding the correct fitness routine that works for you. Since I’ve been running for multiple years now, I felt the need to incorporate or try another workout. I needed a routine that could help balance the level of cardio I was doing, so that’s why I turned to yoga. Starting in the winter of my sophomore year I began incorporating daily yoga into my fitness routine & I couldn’t be happier with how it has made me look and feel.
I encourage you to find a routine that balances your body too. If your stuck in finding the right workout or need a little inspiration, I’ve provided my personal fitness routine below to hopefully help you find your passion & provide ideas as to what you could try. Remember that working out shouldn’t be something you dread, and instead it should be flexible, functional and something that excites and empowers you!
First, stay in tune with your body
When I’m pressed for time during the week, or It’s been a busy day & I feel less motivated to workout I won’t workout. I always listen to my body and stay in tune with how I feel, so I know when my body needs rest. If my body is telling me I need a break, I will take a break. If my body is buzzing with energy & I’m ready to run, I will go on a run. I always pay close attention to how my body is feeling and I try & do different workouts every other day to accommodate how my body feels.
My personal fitness routine-
During winter:
During the school year I try and reserve two-three evenings during the school week to escape to my local yoga room to relax & unwind after dinner and homework. I’ll typically do a yin flow class, where I’m able to do deep stretching, or I’ll do a fiery vinyassa class to burn toxins. Then on the weekends I head to my nearby gym to weight lift or do a couple barbell strength classes, along with a few core exercises. I’m not against set fitness schedules, however I don’t typically stick to a set routine because I prefer the functional training route and listening to how my body is feeling each day. I’ve been on rigorous training schedules in the past (for cross country), but that was because I was competing for races. When I’m not competing, I prefer listening to my body and taking a more integrative approach to fitness. I enjoy working out in a way that makes my body feel energized & fit without a rigid schedule (majority of the time).
During summer:
Throughout the early spring to late fall, I do most of my running outdoors. During the winter I stick to more restorative & indoor strength training exercises, whereas in the summer it’s mostly outdoor functional-fitness activities, cardio, and daily yoga. I swim almost four times a week in the summer, I run daily in the mornings and I practice yoga in the evenings. I don’t stick to a set routine in the summer either, and instead I incorporate each workout into the activity I’m doing that day. If I decide to go to the pool, then my exercise that day would be swimming. If I have a busy day or a lot going on in the afternoon, I’ll typically run a few miles in the morning and do yoga at night. It all depends on the day & what I’m doing, but I always incorporate some form of physical activity into my routine during the spring and summer months.
Load up on nuts & seeds for a post-workout protein packed snack
My post workout recovery methods:
Hydrate: I constantly hydrate throughout the day, especially before & after a long run or a sweaty yoga class. Often times I add fresh lemon to my water to spice up my hydration for extra detoxification.
Replace electrolytes: It’s important to replenish your body with electrolytes during workouts or conditioning to make up for lost nutrients & minerals. When you sweat you’re loosing electrolytes, which are vital for your bodies energy levels and overall hydration. In order to prevent this from happening I always replace electrolytes with organic coconut water, since it’s high in potassium & rich in natural electrolytes.
Supplement: There are a couple of supplements I take when I workout, including a vitamin B-complex and a Curcumin & Turmeric blend supplement. I take a B-complex since it contains all eight essential b-vitamins for optimal energy & mental clarity. Taking a full spectrum b-complex will help your body convert your daily meals; especially fats and proteins, into usable fuel. This is essential for athletes and can help strengthen your immunity, enhance your focus & mental stamina, and will ultimately improve your natural stress response during workouts. As I mentioned above, I also take a Turmeric & Curcumin blend supplement to help fight any joint inflammation I may experience during long runs. Similar to the B-complex supplement, Turmeric & Curcumin help strengthen your immune system while also providing a rich source of antioxidants. I typically take this supplement during the months I run the most (spring-fall), since it helps ease stiffness & soreness.
Protein & Healthy fat: Replenishing my body with enough protein and healthy fats after a workout or run is crucial in helping my body re-build muscle, boost endurance, and repair damaged tissue between workouts. I always rely on a good quality plant-based protein powder to implement into my post-workout smoothies for a quick nourishing snack. I also tend to incorporate healthy fats into my diet during the weeks I’m running most often. Coconut oil will help your body burn fat as fuel, which helps boost endurance. Coconut oil also helps with balancing your blood sugar levels and when used to prepare your pre-workout meals, it will help energize you without creating a sudden sugar crash.
Get outdoors!
You don’t need access to a gym to get fit
You don’t have to be a member to a fancy gym in order to workout or be the fittest you’ve ever been. Sure gym equipment can help tone your body or work certain muscles, but if you’re a busy person and you don’t always have time to get to a gym or drive to a nearby yoga studio, then try implementing a few simple at-home or on-the-go workouts into your daily health regimen. Whether you’re under a time crunch or you just prefer working out at home or on the go, here are a few of my favorite workouts for a busy schedule:
Ten minute workout before you get out of bed:
Stretch for two minutes, rolling from side to side stretching your back or hugging your knees up to your chest. Then you can begin strength for seven minutes. Start by stretching your legs out long and do a roll-ups for two minutes, being sure to touch your toes & exhale as you roll-up for a quick core workout. Then move into a side plank for one minute on each side, keeping your shoulders over your elbow and your hips lifted. Once you’ve done side plank for two minutes, you can move into bridge with your knees alternating up and down for one minute, being sure to engage your glutes. Move into downward dog and press your leg up to the ceiling to stretch your hamstring for thirty seconds. You can even do a split squat from your bed by keeping one leg on the bed while bending the other for another thirty seconds, just be sure your front knee is stacked over your ankle. Finally it’s time to stretch for one minute before exiting your bedroom. You could do a few side bends or touch your toes to the ground, so you can stretch out your ham strings.
Twenty minute strength workout:
You’ll be doing seven strength moves for sixty seconds each. Start by doing squats for one minute, then single leg squats for one minute on each leg (two minutes). You can then move into doing one minute worth of push ups, and tricep dips. After push ups & working your triceps you can begin mountain climbers, alternating sides for two minutes on each side. Then move into bicycle crunches alternating after one minute on each side. Finally you can move into doing crunches for two minutes.
Speedy body weight cardio workout:
Start your speedy, yet super effective at-home or on-the-go exercise by doing ten jump squats, ten burpees, ten side shuffles with knee holds, twenty high knees, fifteen push ups, forty jumping jacks, twenty jumping lunges, fifteen side shuffles, twenty mountain climbers, fifteen plank ups (plank and push up combined), and to finish up your speedy cardio workout, you do ten power jump lunges.
Quick Core:
Start your core workout with fifty Russian twists, followed by sixty crunches. Move into plank for two-three minutes, then upward facing dog. Transition into sailboat pose and hold for one minute, and finish off your quick core session with fifteen inch worm push-ups. You can repeat this workout twice if needed.
Remember that recovery is one of the most important aspects to good-quality workouts, and it’s important to properly stretch for at least five minutes after your workout. Take care of your body and stretch what feels sore.
Invigorated.Healthy.Strong.Accomplished
References:
Lark, Liz. 1,001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom: Practical inspiration for a happier, healthier life. London: Duncanbaird, 2008. Print.
Swami, Saradananda. Power of Breath: Yoga breathing for inner balance, health and harmony. (Place of publication not identified), 2017. Print.