Lately I often wonder why I didn’t get diabetes as an adult. I should have, based on what I ate as a child. I mean, what I begged for. Why is it that one child growing up in the same family under the same conditions will have it and the other won’t. Why is it that athletes can literally eat with impunity and still stay healthy? Or is it just an illusion? Is it the appearance that causes them to ‘collapse’ when they stop competing or is it the drastic, almost shocking change?
I had been struggling with my weight for years. Well, not spectacularly, just in a way, with 5-6 kg fluctuations. But I felt it. Now I have been able to literally eat anything again for months with impunity, I sleep well again, my limb pain is gone and I feel quite fit. Maybe it’s just an illusion, but I’m fine with that it, if it lasts another 20-25 years. And part of it is that I’m also very conscious of my breathing.
By now, you have all mastered the breathing pattern that was sent to you earlier (you have had nearly 2 weeks), it is time to move on.
Patterned breathing (2:2, 3:3, 4:4)
Patterned breathing exercises will help you improve diaphragm tone and give you greater control over your breathing. If you do this exercise well, you will be able to take deeper breaths and improve your running efficiency. Here’s what you need to do:
– Start with a walk and match your breaths to your steps: inhale for the first two steps with two equally deep breaths, then exhale for the next two steps, also dividing your breaths. This is called a 2:2 breathing pattern.
– Next time, hold this breathing pattern for 1 minute, then 2 minutes. For 2-3 days, just practice this.
– Once this is going smoothly, start walking at a brisk pace, then (if you already have a running schedule) run slowly and continue using this breathing pattern.
These exercises can vary depending on the desired goal and pace. For short sprints and strenuous climbs we will use a 2:2 breathing pattern, for longer workouts we will use a 3:3 or 4:4 ratio. Patterned breathing will help you to maintain your speed during long runs, avoid falling apart and match your oxygen intake to the load. Over time, you’ll find out which rhythms work for you and learn to change them, just as you change gears in a car.
Don’t get left behind, because we’re going to speed up from here!