Breathing for a powerful workout

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This blog is written in collaboration with WellO2

Breathing should also be easy and effortless during exercise. Many people breathe through their mouths, even during light exercise, without realising it, which can lead to over-breathing. WellO2 has the best tips to help you improve your breathing technique and get the most out of your workout!

Ease and comfort of breathing is important

Exercise is supposed to raise your heart rate, so it is natural that your breathing will also increase. This is when we usually start breathing through our mouths.

Breathing through the nose adds resistance to breathing, which often makes inhaling a little more difficult than breathing through the mouth. However, exhaling through the nose, because of the resistance, calms and deepens the exhalation, so that the rate of breathing tends to be calmer than when breathing through the mouth. In this way, over-breathing is less likely to occur.

Nasal breathing ensures deep breathing, while often breathing through the mouth during exercise can leave you shallow and gasping.

Frequent over-breathing removes carbon dioxide from the blood faster than it is produced by metabolism. This can lead to a range of symptoms, including a feeling of suffocation, tremors and even fainting. It is therefore important to practise the correct nasal breathing technique.

Although breathing accelerates during exercise, it should calm down at the end of the performance. If, during the recovery phase of exercise, you still feel that you are breathing heavily, feel the need to yawn, gasp for air or breathe through your mouth, or have a loud breathing pattern, this indicates that there has been a problem with your breathing pattern or rhythm during exercise.

The right technique can be practised

Breathing rhythm and breathing patterns only develop with practice. By practising a more economical way of breathing, you will no longer have to pay attention to your breathing during heavy exercise and you will get more out of your exercise.

When practising nasal breathing, the exercise can feel very laborious at first. When under stress, slowing down your breathing causes the respiratory centre in your brain to fight back, as it is not used to a calmer breathing pattern. However, once you get used to the habit, you often find that your fitness improves, so to speak, meaning that you can breathe more efficiently through your nose than through your mouth.

Start learning to breathe through your nose like this:

Start by taking light walks, breathing only through your nose. Let your nasal breathing dictate the speed of your walk, so if you feel the need to breathe through your mouth, slow down.
Gradually increase the exertion of the walk by paying attention to breathing, which is done only through the nose.
Be kind to yourself, as breathing can feel very awkward at first and situations where you are used to breathing through your mouth can make you feel like you are running out of oxygen.
Calm your mind during the performance and notice that you are breathing all the time and the air is flowing. Remember that the feeling of running out of oxygen is just a feeling, it's just a different and calmer way of breathing.

What is WellO2?

WellO2 is a unique drug-free breathing device developed in Finland that uses the Nordic Breathing method. The method combines steam breathing and resistance training of the respiratory muscles. It supports overall well-being by strengthening the breathing muscles and cleansing the lungs and mucous membranes.

WellO2 is designed to help you breathe easier and improve your everyday well-being. WellO2 has been developed by experts in health, wellness and technology. The innovative solution combines the latest scientific research and technological innovation into a versatile drug-free respiratory health management and maintenance tool. It is used by more than 100 000 people around the world!

"We have also launched the world's first Nordic Breathing media site on breathing awareness. It provides information on the importance of breathing for overall human wellbeing and the different trends in breathing. Good breathing is the basis for a good life. With WellO2, it's instantly easier to breathe so you can live your life to the full - every day."