20k per day

We take over 20,000 breaths every day.

Most of that runs on autopilot through our autonomic nervous system. You don’t even have to consider it, but you body adjusts for what you’re doing and what environment you’re in and makes sure you don’t all of a sudden stop breathing. It’s very impressive.

I’m not suggesting you get rid of all your personal belongings and go on a full-time meditation retreat, however spending a little bit of time thinking about your breath, and the way that you’re breathing can be a powerful tool.

Here are a few experiments for you to play with to pay attention to a handful of those 20k breaths each day.

When warming up for intervals, how many breaths (full in/out) do you get in a minute? I try keep it easy the first couple minutes and see how many breaths  I can hold on to. This helps me avoid coming out too hot. Around 10-12 breaths per minute is super chill pace.

Squatting, benching, deadlifting, etc. any of those moves in the gym are a chance to breathe. Typically we want a full inhale/exhale per rep. Example, you breathe in at the top of a push up, lower your self, starting pushing up while exhaling. Connecting the breath to reps will leave you feeling stronger and more stable.

When I’m out of breath, how many breaths will it take me to get back under control (I’ll watch my HR monitor as I do this too to try and correlate specific HRs with how I breathe/feel). Often I make it to 10 and then lose count, but it helps it suck less!

Here’s your invitation to lay on the floor after a tough workout. By laying down you’re supporting your spine, and making it easier for your breathing mechanics to work smoothly. Try to take deep breaths with longer exhales for a few minutes, or 30-50 breaths, after your next workout.

Don’t forget to thank your autonomic nervous system for breathing while you read this!

Justin Miner

@justinminergain