ARE YOU BREATHING?

How many times has someone come up to you when you were stressed out, whether at a competition or when you are filming and trying to land a trick and say "breathe." 

That is great advice if you know what to do with it. 

Feeling anxiety, rapid heart rate, out of control nerves, and self-doubt is no joke, we all deal with it at some point or another.  For athletes, this can be intensified whether that is during a competition, trying that new trick, or even out of the blue, when you least expect it, or want it.

Learning how to breathe and using breathing techniques as an athlete is key to reducing stress and anxiety, improving focus and concentration, calm your muscle tension, and taking you out of the fight or flight mode to slow your heart rate down so you can perform at your best. 

It is crazy how simple and effective breathing techniques can be but like anything it is implementing them and making them a part of your practice as an athlete that is the important part.

Here are 3 of our favorite breathing techniques used by many of your favorite action sports athletes:

Diaphragmatic Breathing:  This is pretty much deep belly breathing that decreases the body's stress response and increases relaxation. 

• Sit or stand in a comfortable position
• Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on the abdomen
• Inhale deeply through the nose, allow your abdomen to expand fully while keeping your chest relatively still
• Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth or nose

Repeat this process while focusing on making the exhalation slightly longer than the inhalation to increase relaxation  

Box Breathing: The magic of 4 is what we call this technique, that is used to regulate your breath and calm your mind.

• Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four
• Hold your breathe for a count of four
• Exhale slowly and completely for the a count of four
• Hold your breath again for a count of four
• Repeat for several rounds and feel the nerves melt away! 

4-7-8 Breathing:  This technique is a simple way to induce relaxation and reduce stress popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil.

• Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight
• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to the count of four
• Hold your breath for a count of seven
• Exhale completely through your mouth for a count for eight making a whooshing sound as you release your breath.
• Repeat at least four times! 

Here is the thing about breathing techniques, they can be used at any time, in any place, for any reason.  And they WORK! 

Pressure, stress, anxiety is real, it is not just felt during sports. Adopting these simple breathing practices can truly help you calm your nerves, lower your heart rate, decrease stress, and put the control back in your hands. 

Now go get breathing!