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Oxygen Advantage

Everyday we breathe about 22,000 times. The majority of people have dysfunctional breathing habits.

 

Breathing is one of the simplest things we do from when we are born to when we die, so how can we get it so wrong? From non stop, busy, stressful lives to postural changes from sitting working all day to changes in our bodies after having babies. So much can effect how we breathe.

 

Nicki is a qualified Oxygen Advantage instructor and could help you to improve your breathing, helping you to:

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Breathe lighter

  • Improve your energy

  • Improve your sleep quality 

  • Help with perimenopause symptoms

  • Regulate your breathing 

  • Help you recover faster

  • Help you calm your mind

  • Improve your blood circulation

  • Calm your mind

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Breathe slower

  • Slowing down your breathing 

  • Stimulate your vagus nerve 

  • Optimise your parasympathetic sympathetic balance

  • Build your resilience

  • Improve your concentration

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Breathe deeper

  • Improve your lung volume

  • Improve your o2 uptake 

  • Improve your core stability 

  • Improve your lymphatic drainage

  • Improve your focus and concentration

What happens when we breathe?

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The diaphragm pulls down and external intercostals help expand the rib cage out. This is extension and external rotation of the ribs.

 

The infra sterna angle of the lower ribs widen and we should feel lateral expansion of the ribs.

 

Air moves from high to low pressure. As the rib cage expands the volume of the lungs increases and the pressure inside is reduced. The reduction in pressure is what pulls the air from the outside to inside the lungs.

 

The diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle - this is the main mover of this movement pattern. 

 

Breathing should be light slow and deep. Breathe through the nose, diaphragmatic, rhythmic and gently paused on the exhale.

 

Modern life has had a big impact on how we breathe so it's important we take time to stop and focus on how we are breathing and how we can improve.

 

Optimal breathing is in for 4 seconds,  out for 6 seconds with a slight pause at the end.

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There are 2 pillars of oxygen advantage: 

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  1. ​Functional breathing​

  2. Simulation of high altitude training

Functional breathing is when we breathe

effectively. 

 

How is your breathing? do you have any of these traits of dysfunctional breathing?

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  • Mouth breathing

  • Upper chest movement

  • Hearing breathing during rest

  • Frequent sighing 

  • Frequent yawning

  • Paradoxical breathing - when the chest expands during inhalation and the abdomen is drawn inwards and then during exhalation the abdomen is pushed outwards

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If you'd like to learn more about functional breathing and how you can optimise your breathing to improve your health join me at one of my breathwork retreats or courses

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Mountain Landscape

Simulation of high altitude training

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Want to improve your endurance, delay your lactate threshold, increase your recovery, improve your athletic performance and improve your anaerobic capacity?

 

Simulation for altitude training involves the practice of strong breathe holding.

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High altitude training is a popular way to:

  • Add a challenge to breathing 

  • Build endurance

  • Boost your body’s response to exercise

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Think of it as a safe, legal performance enhancer.

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You can benefit from elevation training without leaving your home gym. Learn to simulate training at high altitude with simple, progressive breathing exercises. 

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This causes:

  • Hypoxia: blood oxygen levels drop to between 80 and 90%. Normal blood oxygen concentration is between 95 and 100%. Anything less than 90% is hypoxic.

  • Hypercapnia: blood carbon dioxide (CO2) increases. When blood CO2 is higher than normal, it’s called hypercapnia.

Breathe holding

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When you hold your breathe for long periods of time the CO2 build up in your lungs, blood and muscles which is Hypercapnia.

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During breathe holding the muscles become acidic and this is the main cause of adaptations during training which over time will enhance your performance. 

 

  • Incorporate breath holds into your sprint speed workout to improve repeated sprint performance.

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Benefits of aerobic capacity

 

  • Greater power

  • Better bone mineral density

  • Enhanced metabolism

  • Weight management

  • Less depression

  • Lower risk of disease

  • More energy

  • Increased lactate threshold

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To learn about breathe holding techniques and how this could benefit your health and training join me at one of my breathwork events or courses.

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Bolt score

BOLT score

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What is your BOLT score?

 

The Bolt score is your Blood Oxygen level test, we are always working to improve on this.

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This is a test to see how well you breathe 

It measures how sensitive the body is to Carbon Dioxide

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  • A good BOLT score is 40s 

  • A poor BOLT score is below 20s 

Sleep

Night Breathing

How we breathe in the day affects how we breathe at night,  If we have light and calm breathing this will reduce snoring,  obstructive sleep apnea, helping us to get into a deep,  better quality sleep.

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Poor breathing habits result in poor sleeping habits. To improve your athletic performance and your energy levels you need to improve the quality of your sleep. 

Do you or your partner snore? Want to improve your sleep?

Do you wake with a dry mouth?

Do you feel groggy and tired in the morning?

 

Working on improving your sleep and your BOLT score can improve your sleep quality, giving you more energy, and getting you a better night’s sleep

Sleep
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