In CrossFit®, resistance, force and technique are key aspects to improve your performance. However, there is a an often overlooked but fundamental element: breathing.
Learning to breathe properly not only allows you to maximize muscle oxygenation, but it can also reduce fatigue, improve concentration and increase the ability to manage stress physical during the most intense workouts.
In this article, we’ll explore some breathing exercises that can help you take your CrossFit® performance to the next level.
Index
Why is breathing important in CrossFit®?
CrossFit® is a sport that requires an intense combination of strength and endurance, rapidly alternating between aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Ineffective breathing can limit the amount of oxygen reaching your muscles, reducing your ability to maintain high intensities and recover between sets.
On the contrary, efficient breathing allows you to optimize oxygen consumption, reduce lactic acid buildup, and better manage training intensity.
How to Breathe Correctly During a WOD
Many athletes, when performing complex movements or during moments of high intensity, tend to hold your breath.
This phenomenon, called “Valsalva maneuver“, can be useful for movements that require core stabilization, such as heavy squats or weight lifting.
However, in situations that require endurance and continuity, breath holding can limit performance.
The general rule is to match breathing with movements.: exhale during the effort phase (for example, while pushing or lifting a weight) and inhale during the recovery or preparation (for example, when you return to the starting position).
Breathing Exercises for CrossFit®
Let's see the most useful breathing exercises.
Diaphragmatic breathing
La diaphragmatic breathing, or abdominal breathing, is one of the simplest but most effective exercises to improve breathing capacity.
Most people breathe shallowly, using only the upper part of their lungs, which reduces oxygen intake.
Diaphragmatic breathing allows you to fully expand your lungs, improving lung capacity and increasing endurance.
How to do:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
- Inhale deeply through your nose, trying to lift your abdomen higher than your chest.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth.
- Repeat for 5-10 minutes daily to train your diaphragm to work more efficiently.
Box breathing technique
The "box breathing" it's a controlled breathing technique which helps reduce stress and improve concentration.
It is especially useful for mentally preparing before a challenging WOD or for keeping calm during moments of high intensity.
How to do:
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
- Exhale slowly for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath again for 4 seconds.
- Repeat for 5 minutes.
This technique helps slow down your heart rate and maintain regular breathing during exercise.
Double ratio breathing
This technique is useful during exercises that require endurance, like rowing, the running oh kettlebell swings.
Consists in inhaling for a short time and exhaling for a double time, allowing you to eliminate more CO2 from the body and prevent lactic acid buildup.
How to do:
- Inhale through your nose for 2 seconds.
- Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
- This longer breath will help you maintain control even as the intensity of your workout increases.
“Nasal” breathing technique
Breathing through your nose, rather than your mouth, helps filter and warm the air, as well as improve concentration.
Even if it is difficult to maintain this type of breathing during high intensity workouts, Training yourself to breathe only through your nose during warm-ups or low-intensity exercises can improve your long-term breathing efficiency.
How to do:
- During your warm-up or active recovery sessions, try to breathe exclusively through your nose.
- If necessary, slow down the intensity of the exercise to maintain nasal breathing.
Integrating breathing exercises into your CrossFit® training program may seem like a small detail, but the benefits can be significant.
An More efficient breathing helps you reduce fatigue, improve recovery, and maintain workout intensity longer.
Try including the breathing techniques described above in your daily routine, both during your warm-up and during your rest periods, and you will see how your endurance and overall performance will improve.
In a sport like CrossFit®, where every detail counts, mastering your breathing could be the key to taking your performance to a new level.
