Why is Breathing Important During Exercise for Personal Training?
When we train at the gym, we often focus on power, strength, recovery, reps, and sets—but rarely consider our breath. Breathwork is highly effective for reducing anxiety, as demonstrated in research from the National Library of Medicine:
“Those results provide relevant clinical application leads to manage state anxiety among older adults and to promote successful aging.” (National Library of Medicine).
However, breathwork offers even greater benefits, playing a crucial role in enhancing exercise performance and overall well-being. Here are 10 examples of how breathwork can help and support your exercise routine:
1. Stabilises Your Core
Exhaling during the exertion phase engages your core, providing stability and reducing the risk of injury. When your core is stable, you are better able to maintain proper form, which is crucial for preventing injuries and getting the most out of your workout.
Stability is essential for all kinds of resistance training. By focusing on exhaling at the correct times, you can generate a solid foundation for every lift. This stability is particularly important for heavier lifts, such as squats and chest press, where a lack of core stability can lead to compromised form and potential injury.
Furthermore, breathwork trains the transverse abdominis (https://www.physio-pedia.com/Transversus_Abdominis), a key muscle that contributes to spinal stability. Engaging this muscle properly through breath can lead to improved posture both in and out of the gym.
2. Enhances Power and Strength
Breathing out during exertion helps generate more power, allowing you to lift heavier weights or perform more repetitions. Proper exhalation engages the diaphragm, which in turn increases intra-abdominal pressure, giving you a more solid foundation to generate force, which is crucial for effective personal training.
The relationship between breath and strength comes down to the physiological pressure that the diaphragm creates during exhalation. This increased pressure helps in supporting the spine and creating a safe environment for generating force.
Additionally, consciously using breath to maximize power means that you can push beyond perceived limits. This mental aspect is just as important as the physical component because focused breathing improves concentration and mental resilience during challenging sets.
3. Reduces Blood Pressure Spikes
Holding your breath can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. Proper breathing helps maintain safer levels during strenuous movements. Keeping your breathing steady and controlled prevents excessive strain on your cardiovascular system, ensuring that your heart and blood vessels are not overstressed.
The Valsalva maneuver, often incorrectly used during exercise, involves holding one’s breath during exertion. While this can provide short-term stability, it also creates spikes in blood pressure that can be dangerous for certain populations, particularly older adults (https://www.healthline.com/health/valsalva-maneuver#how–to).
By practicing controlled exhalation, especially during the most difficult phases of a lift, you can avoid unnecessary cardiovascular stress and keep your workouts both safe and effective. This is especially beneficial for personal training clients who may have underlying health conditions.
4. Prevents Dizziness and Fainting
By keeping a steady flow of oxygen, you reduce the risk of dizziness or fainting, which can occur if you hold your breath during exercise. Proper oxygenation keeps your brain and muscles functioning effectively, helping you avoid lightheadedness and allowing you to stay focused on your training.
During high-intensity resistance training, muscles demand more oxygen. Ensuring a consistent supply through proper breathing means that muscles stay energized and the brain remains clear. Avoiding lightheadedness is crucial for maintaining good form throughout an exercise session.
Fainting due to poor breathing can be a real risk during resistance training, especially during heavy lifts. By breathing correctly, you ensure that your body remains in a ready state to handle exertion, reducing any risks that come from improper oxygen supply.
5. Supports Mind-Muscle Connection
Focusing on your breath helps you stay present and enhances the mind-muscle connection improving the effectiveness of each movement. By consciously coordinating your breath with each repetition, you can direct your mental energy towards the muscle group being worked, leading to more targeted and efficient muscle engagement.
The mind-muscle connection is a well-established principle in resistance training (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26700744/). Adding breath work to this connection allows for greater awareness of movement, which in turn can lead to better technique and enhanced muscle activation.
This coordination is particularly effective for isolation exercises, such as bicep curls or tricep extensions, where deliberate breathing can help ensure that the target muscle is fully activated and taking on the intended load.
6. Breathwork Reduces Tension
Holding your breath can create unnecessary tension in your neck, shoulders, and chest. Proper breathing helps relax these areas, allowing for smoother movements. Reducing tension also helps prevent muscle fatigue, which can limit your performance and increase the likelihood of injuries.
Many individuals unknowingly hold their breath during challenging phases of an exercise, which can cause undue strain on secondary muscles, particularly in the upper body. This results in excess fatigue that negatively impacts workout performance.
Learning to exhale at the right moments can help relax tense areas, allowing primary muscles to work without interference from contracted neck or shoulder muscles. This is particularly valuable in exercises like shoulder presses or chest press, where shoulder tension can hinder proper movement patterns.
7. Improves Recovery Between Sets
Deep, controlled breathing between sets helps your body recover faster, allowing you to maintain intensity throughout your workout at the gym. Proper breathing helps clear out carbon dioxide and bring in more oxygen, which aids in muscle recovery and prepares you for your next set, making your training sessions more effective and enjoyable.
Between sets, the goal is to bring your heart rate down and recover efficiently. Deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and quicker recovery (https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response)
By focusing on diaphragmatic breathing during rest periods, you can reduce muscle stiffness and replenish oxygen stores, setting yourself up for better performance in subsequent sets. This is an essential strategy for personal training clients looking to make the most out of every minute at the gym. Proper breathing helps clear out carbon dioxide and bring in more oxygen, which aids in muscle recovery and prepares you for your next set, making your training sessions more effective and enjoyable.
- Between sets, the goal is to bring your heart rate down and recover efficiently. Deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and quicker recovery.
- By focusing on diaphragmatic breathing during rest periods, you can reduce muscle stiffness and replenish oxygen stores, setting yourself up for better performance in subsequent sets. This is an essential strategy for personal training clients looking to make the most out of every minute at the gym.
8. Increases Workout Efficiency
Proper breathing techniques help you perform each exercise with better form, making your workouts at the gym more efficient and effective. When you maintain consistent breathing, your body works in harmony, reducing wasted energy and allowing you to focus your efforts on lifting, pulling, or pushing with precision.
Efficiency in the gym isn’t just about speed; it’s about the quality of every movement. Proper breathing minimizes unnecessary movements, allowing for more fluid and controlled exercise execution.
When muscles are properly oxygenated, they function more effectively, which reduces fatigue and improves overall workout quality. This efficiency can lead to more rapid progress in strength and conditioning, making it an invaluable tool for personal trainers working with clients of all levels.
9. Breathwork Promotes Relaxation and Focus
Controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you stay calm and focused during challenging exercises. By reducing stress levels, you can approach each exercise with a clear mind, which improves your performance and helps you push through difficult sets.
Stress is a common factor during high-intensity workouts, particularly when pushing through challenging sets. By focusing on slow, controlled breaths, you can keep stress hormones like cortisol (https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cortisol-symptoms) at bay, leading to a more centered and effective workout.
Mental clarity is just as important as physical readiness when it comes to resistance training. By harnessing the calming effects of proper breathing, you can maintain focus even when physical fatigue sets in, ensuring that every rep counts.
10. Boosts Endurance
Breathing effectively helps increase your endurance during resistance training. By maintaining a steady intake of oxygen, your muscles are better equipped to sustain longer periods of exertion. This means you can work out for longer durations without feeling fatigued, leading to improved stamina and strength gains over time.
Endurance isn’t just about cardio—resistance training also requires sustained effort over multiple sets and repetitions. By mastering your breathing, you can extend the time your muscles can perform under tension, making each workout more productive.
This is particularly important for compound movements, which engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Proper breathing helps ensure that all engaged muscles receive adequate oxygen, allowing you to push through longer, more demanding sets
How Fitagain Can Help with Personal Training in Devon
At Fitagain, we specialise in personal training programs tailored to meet the needs of individuals over 50 looking for effective fitness training and breath work guidance. This approach integrates the importance of proper breathing techniques to help you get the most out of your training sessions. Our trainers understand that fitness is not just about movement—it’s about using your entire body efficiently, including your breath.
Our Devon-based gym is equipped with the tools and trainers to help guide individuals through safe and effective resistance training exercises that are enhanced by proper breathwork. Whether you are over 50 and just starting your fitness journey or looking to build on your existing strength, our gym is the ideal place to reach your goals. If you’re new to the gym or a beginner who feels unconfident, our personalised training programs are designed to help you reach your fitness goals in a supportive environment.
Breathwork Workshop for Enhanced Training and Stress Resilience
To understand how to use your breath effectively and utilise breathwork, we are hosting a workshop designed by Natalie Vallely (www.natalievallely.com) to help you build resilience against stress and use your breath as a powerful tool for lasting emotional and physical well-being. You’ll gain practical skills to effectively manage stress, reduce anxiety, and maintain a balanced state of mind throughout your daily life.
By incorporating targeted breathwork, you can transform your habitual response to stress and foster a healthier relationship with challenges that arise, all while enhancing your personal training experience at our gym in Devon.
Our workshop will cover:
- The Science Behind Breathwork: Understand the physiological effects of breathwork on the body, including how it impacts the nervous system, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being.
- Techniques for Everyday Use: Learn practical breathwork techniques that you can apply both in and out of the gym to improve relaxation, focus, and physical performance.
- Personalised Guidance: Receive individualized feedback from our trainers to ensure you are using breathwork effectively during your resistance training exercises.
Join us at Fitagain in Devon to take your fitness journey to the next level by harnessing the power of your breath. Our programs are specifically designed for those over 50 who want to enhance their training experience with professional support and tailored breathwork techniques. We believe that everyone, regardless of age or fitness level, can benefit from learning how to use their breath to improve both their mental and physical health.
Visit our website https://www.fitagain.co.uk/events/ to learn more and sign up for our upcoming breathwork workshop. Let’s work together to breathe new life into your fitness routine.
