Learning how to manage your breath is important for any athlete. It can assist not only in athletic performance, but in other components of your life.
Being able to control your breath is powerful mostly because breathing is involuntary. When feeling anxious, nervous or stressed you might notice your breath becoming short and shallow. This might cause you to feel other physiological responses within your body such as increased heart rate, sweating, clammy hands, etc. It’s a natural response.
BUT…this short and shallow breathing impacts our ability to concentrate and perform.
So, how can you work on taking ownership of your breathing to make your breaths deep and long?
Try box breathing!! Here are the steps:
1. Visualize a square and begin in the bottom left corner
2. Inhale for the count of 4 as you move from the bottom to the top of the left side of the square
3. Hold at the top of your inhale for the count of 4 as you move from the top left corner of the square to the top right corner
4. Exhale for the count of 4 as you move from the top right side of the square to the bottom right
5. Hold at the bottom of your exhale as you move from the bottom right corner to the bottom left corner of the square
Repeat this at least 3-5 times and even more if you find it effective!