I will never forget the day when one of my students, a professional lacrosse player and varsity hockey player, gave me some great feedback. He told me that one thing he really took from yoga was a new found awareness of his breathing. Imagine that! We start breathing oxygen the moment we enter the world but very few people actually notice how they breathe, and how it has a direct affect on nearly everything they do until they establish a regular yoga practice.
Without getting too technical here are some important anatomical facts about our breath that will give you a better understanding of why breath awareness matters to athletes.
Quick anatomy lesson:
Our lungs are the organ we breathe with and they extend from just above our clavicle (collarbone) to our lower ribs. The diaphragm is a dome-like muscle that we use to breathe with. It attaches from our sternum (bone in the centre of the chest) at the front, wraps around the inside of our lower ribs and also attaches to our spine. The diaphragm has openings for blood vessels to pass through as well as two muscles of the lower back (quadratus lumborum) and hips (psoas). When we inhale fully our diaphragm contracts (expands) and when we exhale it relaxes (and rises in the ribcage). There are other muscles called the intercostals which are between the ribs that also aid in breathing. Places your hands on your low ribs and take some deep breaths to feel this in your own body. Close your eyes and repeat these deep breaths 10 times, then pause and notice how you are feeling.
When a person is stressed or anxious they breathe quickly and shallowly. This type of breathing only makes the body more tense and stressed and inhibits necessary gas exchange i.e. expelling of carbon dioxide. If the diaphragm and intercostal muscles are underused they may tense up causing problems with the muscles of the pelvis, hips and back. When breath is controlled, slow and even the nervous system is calmed, the body relaxes and the individual may also experience the following:
- lowered blood pressure and heart rate
- reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood
- reduced lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue
- balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
- improved immune system functioning
- increased physical energy
- increased feelings of calm and wellbeing
When one is engaged in physical activity which causes the heart rate to rise their breathing patterns will naturally change. However, learning to control these breath patterns is the goal towards recovery and sustainability.
So why is this important for athletes?
STRESS! A professional athlete is under extreme pressure to perform. A varsity or high school athlete has to juggle competing as well as their academics. There will always be stressors in sport and outside of sport that impact athletic performance. There may be pressure to perform at the highest level from coaches, parents or athletes themselves. Pre-competition nerves can get the better of any athlete causing all kids of unpleasant physical symptoms. The practice of breath control can give them a tool to first notice when the breath becomes superficial and the body becomes tense. Then to deepen the breath and calm them to the point where they no longer feel overwhelmed.
TRAINING! Breath control can also help them in their training, especially in weight training when the exhale breath is used on exertion.
OVERALL HEALTH & WELLBEING! Stress is related to 99% of all illness! Full, deep breaths will improve overall wellness. This will have valuable physical health and emotional health benefits to athletes, resulting in less time off due to stress-related illnesses.
How does one master the breath?
One of the ways yoga is such a unique form of exercise is the importance of the breath. When you are led by a skilled teacher, he/she will be constantly reminding you to focus on your breathing as well as introduce movements that are linked to the breath. During yoga you are encouraged to rest if your breath does become shallow or forced thus prompting you to come back to a full inhale and a full exhale. This takes practice. Over time it translates easily off the mat into daily lives, training times and competition.
Come back for my next blog post: Yoga for Athletes: Improved mental focus and clarity
