Think, Perform, & Sleep Better — 3 Effective Breathing Exercises

Think, Perform, & Sleep Better — 3 Effective Breathing Exercises

Many people underestimate the importance of breathing exercises. The truth is, a proper breathing technique can help you in various aspects of your life and allow you to think, perform, and sleep better.

Here are three of my favorite breathing exercises.

For Boosted Physical Performance

Breathing exercises are an important part of my training as they help me boost my physical performance. I opt for synchronized breathing techniques that help in balancing my energy exertion. To do this, try to synchronize your breathing with your body motions. Each time you make an intense body movement, such as when lifting weights, exhale deeply and slowly. This will prevent you from feeling breathless.

Also try to engage your diaphragm and indulge in “belly breathing” as opposed to “chest breathing”. This will enhance your lung capacity and endurance.

For Better Concentration

If you want to improve your focus, then try alternate nostril breathing. Simply place your left thumb against your left nostril, gently pressing it. Alternatively, you can place your thumb at the nostril opening to block the air passage. Once your left nostril is “closed”, inhale through your right nostril. Now repeat the technique for your right nostril. Continue this exercise for at least 10 minutes for it to be effective.

Alternate nostril breathing helps stimulate the brainwaves, allowing for a balancing effect of sorts between the two hemispheres in your brain. This makes it easier for you to focus and makes your brain more receptive. I use this technique quite often to sharpen my concentration for my performance.

For Improved Sleep

The “4-7-8” method has really helped me sleep better at night, especially on days when I’ve felt restless and anxious. It’s a pretty simple trick that allows for the swift removal of carbon dioxide while engaging both the body as well as the mind.

When you’re curled up in bed all set to go to sleep but just can’t seem to doze off, try this:

1. Take a deep breath, exhaling through your mouth alone. You’ll hear a whoosh sound as you do.
2. Now close your mouth and switch to inhaling through your nose. Count to four as you do.
3. Next, count to seven and keep holding your breath for this duration.
4. Finally, exhale through your mouth once again. Count up to eight as you do.
5. Repeat!

Trust me, this really helps calm your mind and encourages your brain to induce sleep. Pro-tip: place the tip of your tongue right behind your upper teeth during this exercise to promote abdominal breathing.

These breathing exercises have helped me in my journey of becoming the first black male Skeleton athlete from Africa to compete in the Olympics.

Follow my 2022 Olympics journey here.