A Breathing Technique to Lower Heart Rate During Exercise

Here is an effective breathing technique I often use to lower my heart rate during aerobic exercise. Imagine you have a car tire around your waist, at the level of your belly button.

When you breath, focus on expanding this region of your midsection first, before your lungs expand your ribcage/chest area. To practice, cup your hands on your waist, at the level of your belly button, so that your thumbs are pressed against your lower back and index and middle, and ring fingers reach towards your belly button. Begin by exhaling completely, feeling the region your hands are on collapse. Then begin to inhale. Think about filling the region of the waist that your hands are on first. You want to feel your waist expanding into your thumbs on the backside, and index, middle and ringer fingers on the the front side, as you inhale more and more. After a few seconds of your waist region expanding, your ribcage and chest area will begin to expand as well. Continue focusing on breathing into the region your hands are on until you cannot breath in anymore air. Hold all of this air in your lungs for 2-3 seconds, and then forcefully exhale all of it out until you feel your midsection collapse in your hands once more. This breathing technique increases the total volume of air, oxygen inhaled, and oxygen absorbed with each breath. As a result, your heart rate lowers. During intense bouts of aerobic work where my heart rate spikes, I will often focus on taking 10 deep belly breathes in a row. Within 60 seconds following the completing of these 10 deep breaths, I notice a significant improvement in both how I feel and perform. I suggest practicing this breath work before you begin incorporating it during exercise. Start by doing 3 sets of 10 deep breaths. Become familiar with how it physically feels to inhale a significant volume of air into your lungs with every breath. In time, you won’t have to place your hands on your waist to maximize air intake. You will then be able to utilize this breathing tool whenever you need to get your heart rate lowered more rapidly.