Athletes spend hours training to increase skill, speed and endurance. Very few, however, practice breathing.

Italian singing instructors know the secrets of better breathing, referring to it as appoggio. Meaning "a balance of opposing forces," efficient breathing produces just the necessary air pressure to sing. Their legendary instruction can be applied to athletics: more efficient breathing leads to better use of the lungs, muscles and oxygen, leading to improved performance.

The Ins and Outs of Breath
The body is a pump, moving air in and out of the lungs and using oxygen to fuel metabolism. At rest, we breathe seven to 15 times a minute. During exercise, we may breathe more than 100 times a minute.

The dome-shaped diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle. When we inhale, the diaphragm flattens to the bottom of the ribcage, pushing the abdomen down and out. Exhalation occurs unconsciously or actively. Exhalation is active when there is need for more air, as in exercise, and relies primarily on abdominal muscles.

Your body shape can determine how you breathe. Lanky body shapes, such as basketball players or runners, tend to use muscles that connect the ribs, rather than the abdominals. Pear-shapes tend to use the abdominals. Athletic shapes tend toward a combination.
Athletes who complain of stomach or side "stitches" during a game may suffer from inefficient breathing. Coaches and trainers may need to work with athletes to develop breathing skills that use the abdominals.

Breathe Better with Practice
There are four ways to breathe. Imagine the chest cavity as a room with a ceiling, floor and walls. You can raise and lower the ceiling or floor, expand and contract the walls, or a combination.

The most efficient breathing comes from a combination of floor and wall breathing, along with use of the abdominals and the ribcage muscles. Ceiling breathing is best used in sprint-like activities, when air must be moved through the lungs quickly.

Good posture facilitates good breathing. The muscles that help us to breathe are attached to our skeleton. If we have poor posture, we cannot breathe correctly. Illness, fatigue or sitting for long periods at the computer are among the culprits leading to poor posture.

Practice these exercises:
One – For 30 seconds, slump your shoulders and your ribcage to your pelvis. Observe your breathing. Next, sit with good posture and observe the same. What is the difference?

Two – Seated, put your hands on your ribcage, just above the pelvis. Slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through the mouth. Next, fill your ribcage from the bottom to the top, raising the "floor." Keep your chest motionless. Once you've mastered breathing while sitting, practice while walking or stair climbing.

For more information, call the Minnesota Sports Medicine at 612-273-4800.