Middle school cross country starts this week! Our son, begrudgingly, will participate in his first official school team practice on Wednesday. He has run cross country over the past few years, so it's not a new thing, but this year will step it up a bit!
In preparation for his first practice, we have been doing some running. What 12-year-old doesn’t love running with their mom? Wink, wink!
We got to spend a few days at the beach last week with my sister and her family and getting my guy out for a run was a bit more difficult than normal. Cousins, morning video games and good breakfast food seemed much more fun than running in the sand.
But running he went. I went for my run and came back to pick him up for a short jaunt. On this day, he wasn’t happy. He was not into it but knew it was inevitable.
His posture and attitude were worse, leading to discomfort (for both of us!). I stayed calm and encouraging…which seemed to make him even more pissed off 😊. I was not as calm about how long it took him to tie his shoes before we started, however…so there’s that!
As we were running along at a pace that was more than doable for him, I heard his breathing become labored…by his own doing, not by the physical stress of the run.
And out came the coach…and mental performance coach in me.
I started using external physical cues to enhance his gate and posture (thank you Nick Winkelman and The Language of Coaching) and we started focusing on regaining control of his breath.
That was the ticket…to his physical and mental comfort for the rest of the run!
This discomfort came from not wanting to participate to start = an uncomfortable mindset. This uncomfortable mindset turned into physical discomfort which had a dramatic effect on Jensen’s performance.
This is often where poor performances begin and far too often, we look past the first tool we should turn to: our breath. As we have discussed many times in these Tips, harnessing the power of breathing can enhance performance, manage stress, and improve overall well-being.
I know this. Jensen knows this. Yet both of us often forget the incredible power of changing the way air comes in and out of our body and how this simple shift can make us more comfortable mentally and physically!
Even though breathing is an automatic function, it holds the key to controlling many of our physiological and psychological responses. Dr. Andrew Huberman, my favorite Stanford neuroscientist, emphasizes that breathwork can directly impact our autonomic nervous system, which regulates functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. By consciously managing our breath, we can shift our body from a state of stress (sympathetic nervous system) to a state of calm (parasympathetic nervous system).
This is what we needed to do to salvage our run…and feel better about it in the moment and after!
Jensen quickly found that when faced with stress, pressure or overwhelming emotion, our breathing rate often becomes rapid and shallow, a reaction rooted in our fight-or-flight response. This shift can lead to a cascade of physiological changes, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and a spike in cortisol levels. These changes, while helpful in short bursts…or to get us out of a jam, can hinder performance if sustained over time…like the time it takes to go for a couple-mile run.
Rapid, shallow breathing reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, which can lead to respiratory alkalosis. This condition can cause dizziness, muscle twitching, and impaired cognitive function. Thus, unchecked stress-induced breathing patterns can significantly impact both physical and mental performance.
We know erratic breathing patterns can cause CO2 to get stuck in all those little alveoli in the lungs, too, as Dr. Huberman mentions in his talks about breathing and stress reduction. Too much CO2 causes us to feel anxious and signals alarms in our brains that something is not right.
Neither CO2 situation is helpful to our performance!!
When we encounter stressful situations or situations we aren’t so happy about (like running with your mom instead of playing with your cousins…mean mom!), our emotional responses can become heightened, leading to impulsive reactions, anxiety, or a sense of being overwhelmed. Understanding how to manage our breath can make a HUGE impact on our performance! Here’s how breath control can help:
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system: We know that the pace of our breath has a huge effect on our arousal levels. Need to get pumped up? Breath quickly. Need to get out of the frenzy you just got yourself into, go to slow, deep breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces the body's stress response. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing (breathing deeply into the belly) help signal to the body that it is safe, thus calming the mind and reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
Balances oxygen and carbon dioxide levels: Proper breathing helps maintain optimal levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, which can stabilize mood and improve emotional regulation. Techniques like 4-7-8 breathing (inhaling for four counts, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight) can be particularly effective in calming the nervous system and reducing emotional reactivity.
Enhances mindfulness/present moment thinking: Focused breathing exercises promote mindfulness, bringing attention to the present moment. This mindfulness can enhance our RESEOPNSE-ABILITY (Power Move #2) allowing for more measured and thoughtful responses to stressors. Dr. Huberman’s research highlights that mindful breathing can enhance the brain's prefrontal cortex activity, which is responsible for executive functions and decision-making.
Improves cognitive function and decision-making: According to research from the HeartMath Institute, coherent breathing—taking slow, deep breaths at a steady rhythm—can enhance heart rate variability (HRV). Higher HRV is associated with better emotional regulation. We can also benefit from improved focus and heightened cognitive flexibility through the activation of the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for decision-making and executive functions. Clarity under pressure…sign me up!
Serves as physical pain management: You probably breathe more deeply when at the doorstep of something you assume will be painful without even realizing it and if you don’t, you should! Breath control is a powerful tool for managing physical pain. Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, stimulates the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and pain relief. This technique can be particularly beneficial for athletes dealing with chronic pain or recovering from injuries.
Studies have shown that slow, deep breathing can reduce the perception of pain by modulating the body’s pain pathways. And remember, the body senses emotional pain through the same receptors as physical pain. Take that for what it’s worth as we deal with a boy not happy emotionally! By shifting focus away from the pain and onto the breath, individuals can experience a reduction in pain intensity and a greater sense of control over their physical state (Power Move #3).
This is all well and good and I hope you are convinced of the benefits of breathing practice, but what do we do in the middle of a run with labored, inconsistent, rapid and/or shallow breathing? Here are my “mom” tips you can use the next time your son feels anxious, worked up or pissed off about running,
We don’t learn new military strategies during a battle, nor can we learn to calm our emotions, cognitive function or nervous system at the height of stress or pressure. Thus, implementing a Pre-Run Breathing Exercise can help get the mind and body set to work. Before starting the run, spend a few minutes practicing deep breathing exercises together. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique: inhale for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. This can help calm nerves and prepare your athletes mentally for the run. A bunch of my athletes prefer this count to others (I was surprised by my non-scientific poll results!)
A pre-run rehearsal may be a good idea, too, although I am not sure this would have worked in this instance since getting him to a place where he could see himself running smoothly and breathing calmly may have been a tall task. BUT…after a breathing exercise, it may have been exactly what he needed!
Author James Nestor is convinced that nasal breathing is the way to go for many reasons, including the fact that air is warmed before it hits the lungs as it passes through the nasal passages but Huberman says the pace rather than the intake feature is most important. Even so, if you can (which I cannot at times) nasal breathing seems to be the way to go. In through the nose, out through the nose or mouth.
Even more important is where you breathe, meaning, do you breathe up and down in your shoulders or in and out shifting your diaphragm up and down? Diaphragmatic breathing allows for more air to enter the lungs and thus, more oxygen to reach the bloodstream, muscles and brain. Breathing up and down can tighten the shoulders, which again, is not conducive to performance.
The more we practice our breathing, the more likely we are to use it to our advantage when we need it. We don’t rise to occasions, we fall back on habits! Thus, before critical moments, such as competitions or important meetings, engage in coherent breathing exercises we can help align the heart and brain, improving emotional stability and cognitive performance…we can get out of the worry brain and into the trust brain as I like to say!
Getting into an IF…THEN I’ll go to a physiological sigh or WHEN…THEN I’ll do my cue control breathing can help our athletes (or son) be prepared to face frustration or stress arises, and help them pause, regain composure, and respond more thoughtfully to challenging situations. Find a CUE CONTROL BREATHING EXERCISE HERE.
And in the moment, count it out… a simple 2 in 4 out or two to regain control with a physiological sigh to settle into a productive rhythm can turn a bad run into a manageable one in a matter of seconds!
A post-practice practice routine can enhance tomorrow’s performance, too! Using breath-focused meditation and relaxation techniques as part of recovery protocols activates the body’s natural pain relief mechanisms.
Our breath can serve as a powerful, accessible tool that can transform performance and mindset in profound ways. By understanding and harnessing the science of breath, we can optimize our physical capabilities, sharpen our mental acuity, and enhance our well-being and performance!
Is it possible that the path to peak performance and resilience lies in mastering the simple yet profound act of breathing? I know this, I am going to ensure my son has this tool in his toolkit as a runner, swimmer, trombone player, student and little kid…because no matter who he turns out to be, managing his breath can help him be his best!
I’ll keep you updated on the CC progress 😊!
Manage the moments…and your breath!
Julie
P.S. My 2024-25 team schedule is filling fast! Reach out and get scheduled for the upcoming year! Send me a text at 234-206-0946 or an email at juliej@ssbperformance.com and get on my schedule as we approach the new year!
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946
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