Here’s A Breathing Exercise to Help With Muscle Fatigue

SANTA CLARA, California, April 4. Dr. G. John Mullen is back this week with a focus on breathing. While most dryland tips feature specific muscle movements to gain strength, breathing technique sometimes is lost in the translation.

This exercise today helps swimmers fight off muscle fatigue from the simple act of breathing.

Purpose: Inspiratory muscle fatigue is believed to contribute to swimming fatigue (for more on this subject and to view the brief swimming review volume 1 edition 1, see here.

Purging allows the athlete to maximally inhale and exhale, training both the inspiratory and expiratory muscles.

Directions: A strong exhalation as if you were trying to blow a toy sailboat across a pool, followed by a big but faster inhalation. Make sure you keep the body still, allowing yourself to relax.

G. John Mullen is the owner of the Center of Optimal Restoration and creator of Swimming Science. He received his doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. G. John has been featured in Swimming World Magazine, Swimmer Magazine, and the International Society of Swim Coaches Journal.

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