How can you coach clients to breathe properly during exercise?

Proper breathing technique is a process to master, but has incredible benefits for overall health, stress, and performance. Holding one's breath during exercise is a very common thing for folks new to exercise, especially during certain strength exercises (such as shoulder press or core work). 1. Improve oxygen supply and core activation. 2. Prevent spikes in blood pressure. Holding your breath during exercise does temporarily increase core strength because of the increase in pressure within the thoracic cavity. However, this comes with a spike in blood pressure that can be dangerous for certain clients and increase chance of injury. 3. Using the rhythm of breathing can improve form and assist with completing strength training exercises.

Mastering proper breathing techniques is essential for optimizing your clients' functional training sessions. Here's why: 1. Boost Performance: Teach them to breathe deeply to enhance oxygen delivery and energy levels, helping them perform better and longer. 2. Reduce Stress: Encourage slow, controlled breathing to lower stress and anxiety, improving focus and motivation during workouts. 3. Improve Stability: Guide them in engaging their core and maintaining proper posture through breath control, which supports stability and reduces injury risk during functional movements. 4. Enhance Recovery: Teach relaxation techniques like deep breathing and breath-focused meditation to aid in faster recovery and overall well-being post-workout.

Increased oxygen intake: Enhances energy production and reduces fatigue. Improved waste removal: Helps clear blood of carbon dioxide, delaying exhaustion. Enhanced muscle function: Delivers vital oxygen to working muscles, improving power and endurance. Reduced tension: Promotes relaxation and focus, aiding performance and injury prevention.

To help clients practice proper diaphragmatic breathing, have them place their hands on their lower ribs so they can feel them rise and fall as they breathe. The majority of the breathing motion should be felt here, not the upper chest, during everyday life and especially during exercise.

In my experience, Coaching clients to breathe properly during exercise must incorporate: -Explaining the benefits of proper breathing for oxygenation of the muscle and performance in the session and to reduce fatigue. -Teaching how to deep belly breathing instead of chest breathing. (bracing the core using the fingers method) -Synchronizing breath with movements: inhale during eccentric phase, exhale during concentric phase. - Remiding the client during exercises to re-use correct breathing patterns.

In functional training, proper breathing is crucial for better performance and fewer injuries. But many people struggle with it. Some don't realize how much breathing affects their workouts, leading to shallow or irregular breaths, or even holding their breath while moving. Bad habits like chest or mouth breathing can make things worse, causing tension and fatigue. Also, not knowing the right way to breathe during exercise can limit flexibility and efficiency.

Habitual patterns: Many clients hold their breath due to anxiety, exertion, or poor technique. Incorrect breathing patterns: Shallow chest breathing can limit oxygen intake. Side stitches: Painful cramps caused by improper diaphragm activation

To tackle these challenges, it's essential to teach your clients basic breathing techniques for functional training. Breathing through your nose is best because it filters, warms, and humidifies the air, while also helping you stay calm and recover faster. Diaphragmatic breathing is important too, as it expands your lungs fully and supports your core muscles, which keep your spine and pelvis stable. For functional training, it's best to breathe naturally, adjusting your breathing to match the exercise intensity and duration. Encourage your clients to breathe comfortably and use simple cues like "smell the roses" or "breathe into your belly" to help them get the hang of it.

In my experience, especially with clients with a history of heart disease & high BP, I suggest during strength training to always exhale upon exertion, so their BP doesn’t get dangerously high.

Diaphragmatic breathing: Breathe deeply using your belly, not your chest. Rhythm control: Inhale for 2-4 seconds, exhale for 4-6 seconds, maintaining a smooth pattern. Breathing variations: Adapt patterns for different exercises (e.g., inhale during exertion, exhale during relaxation).

Demonstrate: Show clients proper breathing techniques and explain the importance of breathing during exercise. Provide cues: Offer verbal cues to remind clients to focus on their breath throughout the workout, especially during challenging or high-intensity movements. Use visualization: Encourage clients to visualize their breath flowing smoothly in and out of their body, helping them relax and maintain proper breathing patterns. Offer feedback: Monitor clients' breathing patterns during exercises and provide feedback to help them make adjustments as needed.

Start with education: Explain the benefits, challenges, and techniques of proper breathing. Observe posture and movement: Watch for signs of holding breath, incorrect form, or side stitches. Use hands-on cues: Gently place hands on their belly to feel diaphragmatic activation. Offer verbal cues: Use clear, simple instructions like "inhale through your nose, feel your belly expand." Progress gradually: Start with basic exercises and gradually increase complexity. Integrate with drills: Practice breathing patterns during specific exercises and movements. Provide positive reinforcement: Encourage and praise clients for their efforts and improvements.

Breath-holding: Remind clients to avoid holding their breath, as this can increase intra-abdominal pressure and decrease oxygen delivery to the muscles. Encourage them to breathe continuously and rhythmically. Shallow breathing: Emphasize the importance of deep diaphragmatic breathing to fully oxygenate the body and enhance performance. Encourage clients to focus on expanding their belly with each inhale. Erratic breathing: Help clients establish a consistent breathing rhythm by matching their breath to their movement patterns. Encourage them to practice breath pacing and maintain control over their breath throughout the exercise.

Forcing breaths: Encourage natural, relaxed breathing, not forced or exaggerated deep breaths. Overthinking: Guide clients to focus on the exercise, not overanalyzing their breathing. Ignoring individual needs: Adjust techniques based on clients' fitness level, limitations, and breathing patterns. Neglecting warm-up and cool-down: Proper breathing techniques should be practiced throughout the entire workout.

Breathing and intensity: Address how breathing patterns change with increasing exercise intensity. Individualized feedback: Adapt coaching based on each client's progress and feedback. Patience and practice: Mastering proper breathing takes time and consistent practice. Seek professional guidance: If clients have breathing difficulties or concerns, recommend consulting a healthcare professional