Breathing Techniques for Athletic Performance
Neck pain. Should problems. Indigestion. Back pain. Believe it or not, all of these can be caused by poor posture and inefficient breathing.
In our latest video with Dr. Ryan Godfrey of Body Therapy Inc, he discusses why proper breathing - even when you're not working out - is important for your athletic performance. Whether you're driving in your car or sitting at your office chair, sitting upright and breathing properly can help you perform at your best.
Here's some highlights and tips from the video:
- Sit upright! Slouching causes you to round-off throughout the mid-back and closes down the ability for full lung expansion. When you sit up tall, you get more space and are able to breathe more efficiently
- Lots of people breathe just through your upper rib cage, which can lead to chronic neck pain and shoulder symptoms.
- The Quadratus Lumborum (QL) is a muscle that attaches to the rib cage and can contribute to low-back pain and tightness. Inefficient breathing can cause problems with this muscle. Applying direct pressure using the massagers in Dry Rub - a sweat proof car seat cover - can help relieve tension in this muscle. You can see how it works, here.
- Dr. Ryan shows a breathing technique you can do at home or before your workout that can also help to reduce stress and anxiety
Watch the full video, here: