gym photo

It’s no secret that COVID has caused much stress, put many into mental states of “fight or flight”, affecting our breathing patterns and our health. So, in light of this, I thought it would be appropriate to offer up something this month that could assist everyone with their health and wellness.

What is Supine Diaphragmatic Breathing? Simply put, using your diaphragm to breathe, not your chest (more details in the video).  And, as the name suggests, it’s performed in a supine position.

Why perform it? Where do I even begin!  I could take you down a long crazy rabbit hole, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything, so I’m going to give you an analogy to put things into perspective. Please note that this does not apply to high intensity exercise. Why? Because we expect to see the chest moving to assist with breathing during recovery after high intensity exercise.

Consider this; breathing from our mouth or chest breathing is more indicative of being in “fight or flight”, or more representative of hyperventilating. In this state, the body – your nervous system more specifically – has one purpose, to protect you, PERIOD! What’s the issue? The issue is that in “fight or flight” your body will NOT heal, systemically or physically. Ever wonder why an injury or illness never seems to get better? Consider their state. Consider how you breathe. Consider what part of the nervous system it’s in.

And, just to pique your interest, when we’re in fight or flight our gut also stops producing HCL- hydrochloric acid. Why does this matter? You won’t be able to properly digest your food, which can lead to digestion and gut issues. We have a nerve called the Vagus nerve that runs from your gut (hence that “gut feeling” we get, it’s real) to our brain.

EXERCISE EXECUTION:

STEP #1: In order to provide you with the best possible execution for Supine Diaphragmatic Breathing, I’ve given full instructions in the video provided.

KEY POINTS: Diaphragmatic Breathing can be executed anywhere, but I highly recommend it’s done in a quite place with minimal noise and eyes closed. Visualization, concentration, and focus are KEY factors in making this as affective as possible. Remember, just going through the motions does not work. VISUALIZE, CONCENTRATE, AND FOCUS.

EXERCISE PROTOCOL:

Supine Diaphragmatic breathing is performed for approximately one minute, but of course can be performed for up to 2-3 minutes. Each breath is 11 seconds in length. We perform a 5 second inhale, 1 second pause, and finally a 5 second release. Five rounds of breath are about one minute.

ALWAYS regress and progress as required. Not sure how? Connect with me at: kennedy@coachkennedyonline.ca.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Coach Kennedy (Kennedy Lodato) is a 29-year advocate of health and a 14-year veteran of the fitness industry, with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for teaching and running his own one-on- one coaching programs, consulting, live education, workshops, and lectures. Coach Kennedy is also an educator for canfitpro and EBFA- the Evidence Based Fitness Academy.

Before pursuing his true felt passion for mentoring trainers and coaches, he occupied the positions of Personal Trainer, Sport Conditioning Coach, and Personal Trainer Manager.  Kennedy is a three-time recipient of the canfitpro PRO TRAINER of the Year Award as well as the 2019 Canadian Delegates’ Choice Presenter of the Year Award.  Coach Kennedy is also a cofounder of QHI- Quantum Health Institute.  www.KennedyLodato.com and www.quantumhealthcollective.com