Athlete's Mental Gym
Mental Skill: Breath Deeply To Keep Your Mind Alert
Deep breathing is an effective way to keep you mind alert. Studies have found that about 20% of the air we breathe goes to our brain. If you are a shallow breather, you are breathing from the upper part of your lungs and not getting as much air as you could to your brain.
According to the running coach, Danny Dreyer, there are no alveoli (those little sacs in your lungs that extract the oxygen from the air) in your upper lungs. So, breathing deeply, into your lower lungs, helps you get more air into your blood supply.
To keep your mind alert, you can practice the following deep breathing exercise as advocated by Dr. Andrew Weil on a daily basis, and especially before you have to focus on an activity.
Exercise:
You can perform this exercise by sitting with your back straight, lying on your back, or standing or walking.
First, exhale completely through your mouth, making an audible sound. Then, close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Next, exhale audibly through your mouth to a count of eight. Repeat for a total of four times, then go back to breathing normally.
The speed with which you do the exercise is unimportant. What is important is the ratio of four, seven, eight for inhaling, holding and exhaling.
Sources
- Marge Engelman, Mental Fitness Cards, 2004
- Danny Dreyer, Chi-Running, 2004
