Breathing easy during exercise

Press, 16 July 1987, Page 17

Breathing easy during exercise

By

JUDI SHEPPARD MISSETT

Q: Lately I’ve had trouble breathing in my dance exercise class. Our instructor changes the routines fairly regularly, but as far as I can tell, we’re still doing the same basic moves at the same intensity. Why am I so out of breath?

A: Without more information about your exercise and health background, it’s impossible for me to say what is specifically causing your shortness of breath.

However, I can offer you a list of things which affect breathing. First, the actions of the rib cage and diaphragm are very important. Our diaphragms contract and our rib cages rise as our lungs fill with air. Anything that obstructs these movements will make breathing more difficult.

Does your instructor stress good posture in

class? Movements that cause you to stop or bend over will reduce your capacity to inhale air. Likewise, a full abdomen makes it difficult for your diaphragm to descend and your lungs to fill completely. (Do you eat just before class?) Constricting garments can have the same effect, limiting your abdomen’s ability to expand during a deep breath. Narrowed airways, caused by asthma, smoking, bronchitis or pollutants, will also greatly affect your ability to breathe. If you smoke, quit.

If pollution is a problem, check into exercise facilities with better air quality and ventilation. As for asthma and bronchitis, I suggest that you contact your doctor for advice.

Also, have you taken a break from exercise lately? Even a short layoff of two to three

weeks can affect your fitness level. Returning to class and exercising at the same intensity you die when you left is bound to leave you gasping for air. Although it may not solve your problem totally, a little practice can help anyone breathe better.

Sit or stand with good posture — torso upright and shoulders pulled back. Inhale deeply into the lowest part of your lungs; your stomach should move outward". Do this several times a day, until it becomes a habit to breathe deeply from your diaphragm. You can also test your progress by counting your breaths per minute while at rest. If you take more than 20 breaths per minute, you’re not breathing from your diaphragm, and you need more practice! Expert breathers take as few as five to six breaths a minute. —Copyright Jazzercise