Breathing Exercises for Relaxation
This article is a simple explanation of several breathing exercises for relaxation. It is meant as related companion to the Getting in the Zone series of blog posts or for anyone interested. However, before we get into the breathing exercises you should have already read Paradoxical and Diaphragmatic Breathing which will have introduced the basic concepts and techniques of correct diaphragmatic deep breathing. That article contains an exercise meant to help you practice deep breathing but it should also have you well on your way to achieving a relaxed state through breathing.
I also encourage you to read the Getting in the Zone series which will provide a broader context for what we are trying to achieve. The benefits of proper breathing are obvious but many strength trainees may not see the point of "relaxation". The Zone series provides that point of context and much more.
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Paradoxical and Diaphragmatic Breathing
I began to hit on this in a previous post, On Breathing.... The purpose of that post was to introduce the fallacy of "expanding the chest". To do so I focused on strongmen of old and their ideas about ribcage expansion. Indeed, that was a fetish that followed into the early bodybuilding days and beyond.
There are still people who insist that everything old is good (or bad depending on their belief system) and so there are people who will insist that everything that happened in the strength training of yesteryear was pure genius compared to today.
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On Breathing...and Strongman
The Getting in the Zone series has been on hold while I waited for info on relaxation techniques, first of which will be breathing techniques since proper breathing is the foundation. The next post of the flow series will be an introduction to breathing and breathing techniques pursuant to an explanation of several exercises I will provide.
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Valsalva Maneuver
The valsalva maneuver was named for Antonio Valsalva, an 18th century phycisian. Used as a way to evaluate the cardiovascular system, it is often done, both consciously and unconsciously, by those engaged in vigorous movement; especially where those movements encounter resistance, as with strength training. Described simply, the valsalva maneuver is a forced expiration against a closed glottis.
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