02/18/2025
Is Dysfunctional Breathing Holding You Back? 🌬️
Your breathing patterns may be silently limiting your performance, recovery, and well-being. Dysfunctional breathing - like shallow chest breathing, over-breathing, or mouth breathing - is more common than you think.
How to Spot Dysfunctional Breathing:
⚠️ Mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing.
⚠️ Visible use of neck and shoulder muscles during inhalation.
⚠️ Frequent sighing, yawning, or breathlessness at rest.
⚠️ Low BOLT score (Body Oxygen Level Test) below 25 seconds.
Why It Matters:
Limited Oxygen Delivery: Poor breathing patterns reduce oxygen efficiency, leading to fatigue and poor recovery.
Increased Stress: Rapid, shallow breaths can trigger stress responses, keeping your body in fight-or-flight mode.
Muscle Fatigue: Overuse of smaller breathing muscles causes tension and reduces endurance.
How to Reset Your Breath:
1️⃣ Breathe Through Your Nose: Nasal breathing improves oxygen uptake, filters air, and balances CO₂ levels.
2️⃣ Engage Your Diaphragm: Focus on low, smooth ribcage expansion to breathe more efficiently.
3️⃣ Slow It Down: Practice light, controlled breathing to calm your body and mind.
Dysfunctional breathing affects everything - from your energy levels to your athletic performance. By addressing these patterns, you can unlock better movement, faster recovery, and a calmer mind.
Breathe better, live better. It all starts with functional breathing.