Feel miss your breath during a CrossFit workout it can be a fairly common symptom, especially when it is a particularly intense WOD and above our abilities. Especially in the beginning, an inexperienced athlete does struggling to keep up the pace, and one of the reasons behind this condition is related to breathing.
Le causes of shortness of breath however, during training they can be multiple, and only some of them actually concern the presence of a pathology. Often we feel our breath fail because we are not trained enough or because of one overweight condition (or obesity) which makes movements more difficult.
However, it is clear that a symptom of this type should be considered as a alarm bell and therefore it is always advisable consult a doctor, to rule out more serious pathologies that could have affected the lungs and respiratory tract, such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
Index
Shortness of breath: the causes
Although theetiology of the problem be complex, there are less alarming causes related to shortness of breath. Among these we must mention:
- too sedentary lifestyle
- presence of allergies
- smoke
- overweight or obesity
- poorly trained lungs
In most cases, the difficulty breathing during exercise it can also be connected to one improper breathing practice. For example, it is important to take deep breaths during CrossFit WODs, remember to breathe in through your nose, and use your diaphragm. And this applies to both power and power exercises weightlifting, than for a simple run.
It is difficult indeed adjust the breath when you are too tired: the risk is to go into hyperventilationcausing a reduction in carbon dioxide in the blood and possibly dizziness However, some exercises can help us practice adequate breathing and avoid running into this kind of problems.
Exercises to manage shortness of breath
The purpose of the exercises is essentially to increase the capacity of our lungs, strengthening at the same time the diaphragm muscles. This will make it easier for us to take deep breaths even during the most intense workouts.
Exhalation for a long time
The exercise consists of double the expiration time compared to the inspiration one. After putting air in your lungs for about two seconds, try throwing it out for four seconds. This practice should free your lungs from any residual air and, consequently, helps you increase lung capacity.
Half-closed lips during breathing
More than an exercise, this is actually a practice to keep in mind whenever we risk going into hyperventilation. All you have to do is breathe in with your nose and then close your lips when you are about to throw air out of your lungs. Doing so slows down breathing and gets around the problem of breathlessness.
"Belly" breathing
When inhaling with the nose, it is good to pay attention to the path that follows the aria inside your body. For a correct breathing practice the air should "fill the belly". In other words, if your belly inflates during inhalation, it means that you are actually using the diaphragm.