Box Breathing
With summer and pool competitions round the corner, it is important to keep on top of your training whether it is your first comp, or that massive kingie you've been waiting on.
Dry statics can often seem painfully boring, so hopefully box breathing can be a new relaxing exercise to incorporate into your land training regime.
Box breathing is a simple and relaxing way to increase your CO2 tolerance. It was also been known to reduce stress and improve your mood. The idea around box breathing is that your inhalation, exhalation and the time you hold your breath in between is the same (as shown in the figure below). This is also an effective exercise to practice good breath control and awareness, allowing greater confidence and relaxation in the water.
Box Breathing
- Start at 4 seconds, and gradually increase to achieve your desired intensity (Try to hit 8-10 seconds for each round - 15 if you're a machine)
- Make sure you are stretching out your inhalation and exhalation across the whole time period!
- Perform 10 repetitions.
Happy training,
Kelly
Your Training Officer