Tag: power breathing

If you want to improve the functioning of your lungs and your ability to pull in more life-giving, energy-stoking oxygen, you need to focus on two major areas.

The first is to develop the muscles that support proper, healthy breathing.

The lungs have no muscles of their own. Their expansion and contraction are completely dependent on the muscles surrounding the rib cage and the diaphragm. So you need to build up the strength and coordination of the structures that support proper, full breathing.

The second major area that affects your breathing has to do with what goes on inside your lungs. This includes your vital capacity and the residual air that remains in your lungs when breathing.

The size of the lungs varies from person to person. But generally speaking, each of your lungs is about the size of a football.

Isn’t that funny? The first time I heard that, I thought “My lungs aren’t that small!” A football just doesn’t seem that big to me.

Anyhoo, a large person will naturally have larger lungs than a smaller person. Men generally have larger lungs than women.

So there are some natural limits to lung capacity.

However, you should be more concerned with how much of the total capacity of your lungs you can actually use. This usable portion is called your vital capacity.

A well conditioned person’s vital capacity is about 75 percent of his or her total capacity.

When you exhale, you breathe out all of the air you can from your lungs. The remaining air is called the residual volume. This is air that remains fixed in your lungs. You may have heard it referred to as “stale air”.

Too much residual volume is unhealthy. If you are inactive for any length of time, or you have a respiratory condition that is not well-controlled, the unusable portion of your lungs may increase.

This physically blocks off more and more of your airways, which leaves less space for normal breathing – and makes it even more difficult to breathe when exerting yourself.

You may get to the point that just climbing a flight of stairs leaves you breathless.

Unless you do something, this breathlessness and chest tightness will keep getting worse and worse.

These two key areas – developing the structures that support proper, healthy breathing and improving your vital capacity – are the same areas we work on with the dynamic energy exercises I teach. I’ve been doing these exercises myself as I work through a relatively sendentary period while my knee heals.

Even though I can’t put weight on the operated leg yet, and therefore am unable to do a more “traditional” work out, I can still get myself huffing and puffing and working up a sweat….with some simple, ancient, time-tested dynamic breathing exercises.

Now, a good fitness program can help you improve your ability to breathe, build your vital capacity, and reduce the residual volume.

However, many people do not breathe correctly when they exercise. Typically we are nottaught how to breathe to maximize the results we get from exercise.

Doing some additional breathing work, such as the exercises in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2: The Dynamic Energy Routine – is a surefire way to target, develop and maximize the work performed by your lungs, as well as the structures that support proper breathing.

If you’re serious about improving your physical condition and your health, you should make it a point to focus on expanding your vital capacity and ability to breathe properly.

This type of dynamic breathing exercise will help you get fit more quickly. And it provides the foundation for robust health and longevity.

AND – key point – it makes you feel great!

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you’re interested in developing your breathing ability, enhancing your health and rocketlaunching your energy levels, then you owe it to yourself to take a few minutes to learn more about the Dynamic Energy Routine – part of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2. For more information, or to order your own copy of the program manual and DVD, go to the Best Breathing Exercises website.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

You can’t overestimate the importance of regular exercise on your health.

The benefits of regular exercise and activity are well known. You don’t need me to recite the list to you here.

One of the most important approaches you can take to exercise is to be consistent about it.

Consistency is important for several major reasons.

First off, establishing a routine allows your body to become conditioned to the act of exercising. This helps with the adaptation process you go through, especially if you are just starting an exercise program or have had a lay off.

Your body comes to expect your daily or every other day workout. It is better able to assimilate gains in fitness, as well as recover from each workout.

By the way, this is one of the reasons that regular exercise over the course of the week reduces your chance of injury. The weekend warrior approach leaves your body more vulnerable to strains, sprains and so forth…not to mention increased muscle and joint pain.

Here’s another reason for consistency that is not as well appreciated as it should be: exercise can have a dramatic influence on your mood and energy levels.

This is one of the reasons why I always do my deep breathing and dynamic exercises in the morning. When I do my routine – such as the Dynamic Energy Routine in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2  – after as little as 10 to 15 minutes, I shake off the fog and approach my day with a high level of energy.

I also feel more confident about my ability to hit my goals for the day.

Exercise is one of the oldest = and best – tonics for depression and low mood. It activates naturally occuring hormones and neurotransmitters in your body. And it appears that the more consistently you exercise, the more benefits you receive from these natura, more powerful versions of Prozac.

Here’s one more reason to stay, or become, consistent with your physical activity: it helps boost your metabolism.

When you exercise every day, your body interprets this as follows: you are a VITAL BEING who requires plenty of energy to make it through each day.

Your body responds by revving up your metabolism, so you burn hotter throughout the day. Your body also changes the way it metabolizes the nutrients and calories from the food you eat. On the other hand, when you make healthy demands on your body, on a consistent basis, it metabolizes more of the energy from food into glycogen, to be stored in your muscles and liver.

Becoming a consistent exerciser may seem daunting to you – especially right now as you are rushing and bustling through the holiday season.

But you can start any time, even right now. Take a few minutes to stand up, stretch and breathe deeply. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Now, just imagine how good 15 to 20 minutes of stretching, moving, working your muscles, and breathing deeply would feel. How productive would you be…how much time would you save…how much more confidently and easily would you slide through your day and your “to-do” list, if you would just give yourself the gift of a few minutes of exercise each day?

Don’t just take my word on this. I encourage you to try it our for yourself.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

“Many men and women go to the human scrap heap….They have not
known just how to pump the human bellows – the lungs; get energy
out of every ounce of fuel, keep their arteries and veins clean,
kidneys and liver from being poisoned.”

That’s a quote from an old book on breathing.

Even in the “old days”, when the importance of breathing for good
health was more widely accepted, the doctor who wrote this book
felt compelled to do so. He was concerned about the diseases and
conditions he observed in his patients, as well as the people
around him.

Today, it seems like we are even more removed from the natural
healing and invigorating results of proper breathing.

I think a lot of this has to do with the advent of modern medicine,
and all the wonderful medications and drugs that have been
developed.

Coming down with a cold? First action for many people is to take
medicine to help tamp down the symptoms.

Got a headache? Take two aspirin, or extra strength this or that.

There’s even a headache product you roll on your forehead, like
deodorant. Not sure how it works, but the commercials sure are
funny.

I’m very grateful for the wonder drugs and medicines that help
relieve our illnesses, whether acute or chronic. They have reduced
much suffering and helped alleviate much pain and discomfort.

But they have also caused us to forget about our own natural
instincts and intuitions..to move away from more natural methods
of handling illness and pain.

They tend to make us focus on the symptoms, and treat those,
rather than determine the cause of the symptoms and take care
of that.

If you have headaches on a regular basis, taking aspirin or
Tylenol may help you get through your day. But you better be
concerned about what is causing those headaches, and what you
can do to prevent them.

One chronic illness that hits home with me is asthma. When I
was first diagnosed, I was totally into the “give me medicine,
and more medicine, until this thing is controlled”.

Problem was, the more medicines I took, the worse my health
became.

Mortality rates from asthma are increasing in modern times,
compared to times when they did not have asthma medications.

Why is that?

Given all the fancy medicines used to treat asthma, shouldn’t
mortality rates be declining? What did the oldtimers know, and
do, that we don’t?

One thing they knew about was the importance of deep breathing,
and regularly practicing proper breathing and getting lots of
fresh air.

Seems simple, but it’s true: you can live longer and live
better by knowing how to breathe properly.

Learning – and regularly performing – proper breathing is almost
an art in itself. But it’s actually not hard to do.

It just takes a little time and patience. But it’s time well
invested.

No scrap heap for you!

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/

P.S. Get a crash course in proper breathing and how to breathe
completely and fully with the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise Course, Volume I. You’ll relax and rejuvenate, and feel
more calm and in control, within minutes. For more details, click
here.

P.P.S. AND – To build better lung power, stamina and vitality,
try the second volume of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise Course: The Dynamic Energy Routine. Right now, you can
acquire  BOTH volumes for one special price. Click here
for more details.
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

This was first published as the article  One of the Most Efficient Ways to Train on Technorati.

There are as many ways and methods of training as there are
coaches, trainers and fitness gurus — or so it seems sometimes.

So many methods and systems, often contradicting each other. So
many of them marketing-driven, meaning their proponents have to (at
least publicly) claim that their way is the “best and only way” to
train.

In my experience, you can – and should – take advantage of different
methods and approaches to developing your endurance, strength, and
flexibility. This is the intelligent way to go after superior
levels of fitness and health. To paraphrase Bruce Lee: “Take the
most useful and discard what doesn’t work for you”.

Plus, there is a lot to be said for injecting some variety into
your workouts.  Not only does this keep your body constantly
guessing and adapting – which is one of the goals of training – it
also keeps you fresh mentally. It’s one of the “secrets” that can
help you truly enjoy your fitness program, rather than viewing it
as a necessary evil.

Here’s one training method that has been around for a long time,
is proven, and is widely accepted: Interval Training.

I highly recommend it, especially if you are a busy, time-starved
person who seeks maximum results from minimum time invested. (And
aren’t we all interested in this anyways?) It’s the fastest way to
achieve significant changes in your body composition…meaning,
putting on lean muscle and taking off fat.

Unfortunately, not enough people take advantage of this excellent
way to train.

Interval Training involves working hard for a short period of time,
followed by either a complete rest or a slower pace of the target
activity. For example, you run at a good clip for five minutes (the
work interval), then run more slowly or walk for five minutes
(the rest interval). That’s one set.

Another type of interval:  Run up a hill, sprint, or do a
high-intensity level on the stationary bike for 90 seconds…then
rest for 90 seconds. Rinse and repeat 4 to 8 times, and you have
a powerhouse of a workout – in only about 20 to 24 minutes!

I think people shy away from Interval Training because they
associate it with highly intense levels of effort, and think
it is too tough for them to do. This can be about the most
intense form of training. Sprinting up hills repeatedly, with
short rests between sprints, will fry your butt very quickly.

But the truth is, intervals can be used successfully by anyone,
no matter your present level of fitness.

The key is to set the intensity and duration of your work interval
at a level sufficient to push yourself — but not push yourself
over the edge.

Just about every activity I can think of lends itself to interval
training. It just takes a little creativity.

For example, strength training is naturally interval in nature.
You perform sets of repetitions of exercises, interspersed with
rest periods.

Walking and running are also naturals for intervals. Simply walk
or run faster for a period of time, interspersed with periods of
walking or running more slowly.

Certain breathing exercises are interval in nature. Typically,
each exercise is done for a certain number of repetitions.  You
pause briefly (rest interval) and move on to the next one. Also,
breathing floods your system with oxygen, creating immediate
surges in energy levels and metabolism.

For example, the Dynamic Energy Exercise approach I teach helps
you breathe more deeply and naturally, expand your chest and
strengthen the muscles and support structures that are critical
to healthy breathing and powerful lungs. These exercises get you
workin, huffin and puffin – and are all done in a standing position
that is accessible to just about anyone. (Go to the Best Breathing
Exercises website for more information.)

And that’s how you know you are performing your intervals at
the proper level of intensity: you should be huffing and puffing
by the end.

If you want to lose weight and/or put on lean mass, be sure to
leverage Interval Training in your fitness program for faster
results.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingexercises.com/

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

In today’s tip I will share with you a very simple but powerful
type of breathing which is wonderful for detoxifying the body,
clearing out your lungs, and making your breathing easier. 

Before we get started….

Did you know that each of your lungs is about the size of a
football. Or about the size of your hand, if you hold your hand
open. Because of the rich branching pattern inside, they have the
surface area of an entire football field! And they transfer oxygen
into your body, and wastes out of your body, with amazing
efficiency.

This is one reason why learning how to cultivate your breath can
be such a worthwhile endeavor. Just a small, incremental improvement
in your breathing can have tremendous results in terms of your
energy, mood and health!

So here we go. This exercise called the Cleansing Breath.

Actually, there are several breathing techniques or methods that
are referred to as “Cleansing Breath”. This is just one of them.
But I like this one the best. It’s  an adaptation of an exercise
I teach in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course,
Volume II: The Dynamic Energy Routine.

Here’s how you do it:

(1) Inhale a full, deep breath through your nose;

(2) Retain the air for a few seconds;

(3) Pucker up your lips as if for a whistle; then exhale a little
air through the opening. You should exhale sharply, with plenty
of vigor.

(4) Stop for a few seconds, holding your breath. Then exhale a
little more air. Repeat until you have exhaled all the air you
were holding.

Breathing in this way for only two to three cycles can really
refresh and invigorate you. Use it anytime you are feeling
lethargic or a bit under the weather.

It’s also a wonderful detoxifier — not just physically, but
emotionally and mentally as well.

Next time you are upset at someone or something, try three to
five repetitions of this exercise. You are literally “blowing
off some steam” when you do it.

I wager you’ll feel much better and will be able to move on
with your day without the emotional distraction or baggage.

One important point: this is a tough technique to do when you
are exercising. However, the same basic approach can be used
to help you recover and replenish your energy during physical
activity.

Simply blow out more of your air in the first, sharp exhalation.

In other words, inhale through your nose, then blow out the
air through your pursed (or puckered) lips, kind of like you
are trying to blow up a balloon.

Make sure your exhale is short and sharp. Don’t worry about
exhaling all the air. In fact, when you are exercising, it is
better to retain some measure of air in your lungs.

Think of it as cycling through inhalations and exhalations,
while always keeping a reserve.

If you are getting excessively short of breath or fatigued when
exercising, try this “sharp exhale” version of the cleansing
breath. It really helps you regain control over your breathing,
so you can continue with your activity.

Have a great weekend, my friend!

You Can Do It!

Karen
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com/

P.S. If you are interested in breathing more fully and
effortlessly…in building up your lungs and stamina…naturally
strengthening your internal organs and hyper-charging your
immune system…then you will want to check out the Secret Power
of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II: The Dynamic Energy
Routine. This program can have a transformative effect on your
breathing and overall health and energy. Yet it’s easy to learn a
nd do on a regular basis.

For more details, head over to the Best Breathing Exercises website.

 
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Spring isn’t quite sprung yet…but it’s beginning to emerge.

The longer days, the increased energy and warmth from the sun as
it tracks higher and higher across the sky, the first green shoots
from dormant plants and trees….provide us with that sense of
anticipation of good things to come.

This morning, after I did my breathing and energy exercises
outdoors in the fresh air and early morning sunshine, I found
myself thinking about a common and frequent cycle in our lives:
that of renewal or recovery from some failure, circumstance, or
lack of action on our part.

I’m sure you have had the experience of starting some project, or
setting some goal for yourself. You start off very enthusiastic
and committed to taking action.

After awhile, you may lose steam. You become less enthusiastic, or
an event or series of events throw you off course. You begin to
drift and not apply much, if any, energy to your goal or project.

You may get angry with yourself. You may feel sick and tired of
your present condition.

So you start anew. And you begin again with positive expectations
and enthusiasm.

Even if you’ve experienced this start – stop – start cycle, over
and over again, don’t give up hope. Don’t stop beginning again.

There’s no law or unwritten rule that says you can only try
something so many times, then you have to stop. You can try as
many times as you want, or need, to attain success.

I think this is an important message right about this time of
year, when your enhthusiasm and follow through on your important
goals may be waning a bit.

Several weeks ago, my son Miguel and I watched a documentary on
the great football coach, Vince Lombardi. We’ve all heard or read
so many Lombardi quotes over the years. But there was one moment
in the  program that I found fascinating.

After a stunning defeat, when the Packers lost a Super Bowl game
they were favored to dominate, Lombardi responded to reporters’
requests for a comment by saying, “We didn’t get beat. We just
ran out of time.”

Don’t let your enthusiasm wane either.

As you start toward your goal again, you may be saying the right
things and doing the right things. But, in the back of your mind,
a little voice may be saying, “Here we go again. We feel great
about this new beginning, but just wait a little while. This too
will fizzle out.” I know all about it, because I’ve heard this
voice of doubt from time to time.

Here’s my advice: ignore that voice.

Enjoy your new beginning. Allow yourself to be enthusiastic about
this fresh start. Because who knows, this time it may “stick”.

My high school class motto was, “Today is the first day of the
rest of your life.” It’s a well-known quote. I always thought it
was a little corny, but…I remembered it all these years, so it
must have resonated somewhere in my psyche.

One of my friends has modified it to, “Today could be the LAST
day of the rest of your life.” He claims he is not being cynical.
Rather, he is emphasizing the “Carpe Diem” – Seize the Day –
message within the quote.

Each day can be a day of renewal. So seize it with enthusiasm
and gusto. Enjoy your “fresh start”.

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you’re looking for a fresh start in your quest to get
in shape or improve your health, and you’re ready to leave behind
the frustration of unsatisfactory results…then try the Secret
Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, volume 2: The Dynamic
Energy Routine. By following each section of the course, one at
a time, you will experience an amazing renewal of energy, stamina
and health. Claim your copy today at Best Breathing Exercises.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Here we are, down to the final 10 days, and final
weekend, before Christmas.

I’m noticing the stress increase amongst the people
I know.

Trying to get everything done and wrapped up for
the year at work. Trying to get all the shopping,
baking and wrapping done. Hitting the parties and
lunches – some because you want to, some because
you have to.

How does that song go…”It’s the most wonderful
time of the year”.

Well, just in case you are one of the multi-millions
feeling the stress right now, let me share with
you a couple of thoughts on reducing that stress –
right here, right now.

I’m a goal-oriented person. Nothing terrible
about that. In fact, most would say that’s a good
thing.

But some years back, I found myself losing sight
of the forest for the trees when it came to the
holidays.

I was so focused on the to-do lists, the lists of
gifts I had to purchase, the parties I had to (or
wanted to) attend, the preparations, etc, that
I lost sight of what this holiday is supposed
to be all about.

Even if you aren’t a Christian, you can still
participate and enjoy Christmas. In many respects,
it has become as much a secular event, open to
people of all religious persuasions, if they
choose to participate.

In fact, I have Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist friends
who tell me that Christmas is one of their favorite
holidays.

Anyways, here I was, running around and getting
so stressed and bent out of shape about all I had
to do, that I missed out on the enjoyment of
what the holidays are all about.

It seems like I saw less of my friends and family,
did fewer of the things that give me joy, and
greeted the New Year feeling exhausted rather
than refreshed, invigorated and enthusiastic.

So, I made a pact with myself that I have pretty
much managed to keep.

I resolved to slow down the Christmas hoo haw,
focus in on those activities that were the most
important…and actually enjoy the season.

Becoming a mom helped to emphasize that point.
Now Christmas is really focused on my son. And
this helps me see the holiday anew, from a child’s
eyes. It also helps bring back that sense of wonder
and awe, excitement and anticipation.

Aside from this, I also make sure that I adhere
as much as possible to my regular habits
and routines.

It’s darn near impossible to maintain them
perfectly, and you shouldn’t even try. If you
do, you are setting yourself up for even more
stress due to inflated expectations.

But simple things, like doing my exercises
in the morning, help keep me on track.

In fact, I highly recommend starting your day
with some deep breathing and energy exercises –
like the ones I teach you in the Secret Power
of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2: The
Dynamic Energy Routine – and you will enjoy higher
levels of energy and enthusiam, and be more
focused and productive throughout the day.

You can also use your breathing any time
during the day to help calm and soothe
yourself.

Take a few moments to simply sit or stand
quietly, and breathe deeply and gently. Let go
of the to-do list and the shopping list. Simply
focus on your breathing for 8 to 10 cycles.

You’ll be amazed at how this simple practice
can calm your mind and help you better concentrate
and organize yourself around what you need to do.

There are other, natural things you can do
to keep yourself on an even keel and feeling
peaceful, even during times of great busyness
and stress. I’ll talk more about this in your
next tip.

In the meantime, I leave you with one of my
favorite quotes from Morihei Ueshiba, the
founder of Aikido:

“One does not need buildings, money, power, or
status to practice the art of peace. Heaven is
right where you are standing…”

You Can Do It!

 

 

 

www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you are looking for a positive addition
to your daily health habits and exercise routine,
you should check out the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2: The Dynamic Energy
Routine. The exercises are accessible to all,
regardless of your present condition. And they are
self-reinforcing – they “grow” with you as your
condition and health improve. For more information,
or to get your own copy of the program manual and DVD,
visit the Best Breathing Exercises website .
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2010

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered as
medical advice. Always consult a physician before beginning or
changing any health or fitness regimen.**

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