Monthly Archives: September 2011

Hi everyone I’m back at last with my 21st Journal and getting to the end of my 6month journals now with PowerBreathe….my god how time flies!  Well this week I’ve had my running shoes well and truly strapped to my feet!  Monday I went to body attack and then did a 7 mile run as well it seemed to go pretty well i.e. I didn’t want to keel over afterwards!  Then Tuesday I decided to give balance and combat a miss and did 13miles instead…it has to be said I did start to feel pretty light headed after this but I’m guessing it was because I had to run past numerous hotels and the smell of food was an absolute killer I was starving!  Wednesday...

This week has been by far the most progressive of all the weeks I've been training on the POWERbreathe, I have finally been able to up the resistance to 4! I'm sticking to between 3.5-4 depending on how tired I am after training as the Loughborough University swim squad pre season program is now under way! This means lots of cross training and can mean feeling out of you depth at times ( no pun intended) due to the varied methods in which we can train our bodies, this can be a whole mix of things such as circuits, pool based circuits, spinning, medicine ball sets, core sets and running, however unfortunately due to my...

I am now nearly on to my third week of working with a POWERbreathe.  I have managed to move up to level 2 and am surprised by how much stronger I feel already.  I have definitely noticed a difference when I am out training especially when I am climbing up a tough hill.  This is where I have been struggling to control my breathing and become wheezy, the past two hard sessions I have done I haven’t wheezed at all. Progress already I think!

I took part in the Cycletta Challenge last weekend at Whipsnade park.  It’s a Sportive just for women, I don’t really do much road riding so saw this as an opportunity to use it as some good...

The journey to get me to this start line was way more challenging than any other race I have done. A severe head injury and 6 weeks layoff directly beforehand meant that being at this start line at all was in the balance for a long time.

I only firmly decided if I would travel about a week before hand, and was forced to set myself a whole new set of goals.

Originally, I had decided I would like a top 20 finish, managing 31’st place last year in Budapest, it seemed a reasonable ask. In actual fact, I wanted it closer to the top ten if possible, so I was forced to completely evaluate.

I spent quite some time...

If you are a sports and fitness enthusiast then your performance can be improved with some simple yet effective breathing exercises. These breathing exercises can help concentration during any physical activity.

Competitive sports at every level come with an element of stress for the competitor. The most common type of stress for competitors is hyperventilation before the start of the event. However, by employing some breathing exercises all of this stress can be avoided enabling the competitor to remain calm and focused.

Doing some simple breathing exercises prior to any competition will help you immensely. These...

When people are out running they can sometimes struggle when trying to draw in oxygen to cope with the demands the body is placing on them.  This would be normally be associated with someone who is physically out of shape. However, if the symptoms persist then it could be more medically related and it is advisable you contact your GP.

Whether you are a seasoned runner or new to running, breathing difficulties are quite common regardless of age or fitness so it is always advisable to get checked out as this could be a more serious condition such as COPD or asthma.

When out running, the respiratory system plays a critical role in the body's proper functioning....

Another quiet week but according to my previous recent recovery times I have one more week to go. Even today, I am starting to feel more optimistic and energised.

Don’t laugh too much but I may make a start on creating my Christmas cards for 2011 next week. I have to be well planned to avoid any unnecessary stress or panic, which isn’t good for my health. I send out about 140. I have a design planned in my brain; I just need to try it out on paper. In a bizarre way the POWERbreathe will aid me... All will be revealed next week, that’s if it works out OK.

One of the biggest challenges any singer faces is learning how to breathe correctly. As if that is not hard enough they also need to know how to control their breathing so it is used to optimum effect when singing.

From birth our breathing is naturally correct. For example, a baby can scream, yell and breathe using their lungs with optimum effect because they are doing this without a conscious thought. However, as we start to grow older some people become lazy in their habits and only use the upper part of their lungs – they take a shallow breath instead of a normal one.

To understand how correct breathing and breath control works, first you need to...

Inspiratory muscle training is defined as a course of therapy consisting of a series of breathing exercises that aim to strengthen the bodies’ respiratory muscles making it easier for people to breathe. Inspiratory muscle training is normally aimed at people who suffer from asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and COPD. However, many people adopt IMT as part of their sports training as this training is designed to strengthen the muscles used for breathing. This is done through a series of controlled breathing exercises. Studies have shown that regular IMT can increase a person’s endurance during cardiovascular exercise or sports activities such as running and...

This week progress was initially very quick for me when I first started using the powerbreathe, but then since the layoff I had due to injury, progress has been much slower.  This last week I’ve not really been able to train due to work commitments, but I have just had 30 mins at the golf driving range as I’m off on a golfing holiday this weekend.  I figured a bit of last minute brushing up on the golf swing will bring back the prizes!  Time will tell.  It will be interesting to see if the POWERbreathe helps by thoracic spine, which usually hurts after playing golf following a layoff.  I’ll let you know.

Thanks

Keep moving freely

Martin