Physiological signs during stress, such as sighing or an extra inhale, can play a critical role in opening up the lungs and can also alert individuals to potential danger. These automatic responses are important to pay attention to in order to mitigate stress levels effectively.
Learning how to control your breathing can help manage anxiety and stress levels. By focusing on cultivating relaxed, full breaths, you can work towards controlling your body's stress response and bringing yourself into a state of relaxation.
The sinoatrial node in the heart monitors the rate of blood flow and sends a signal to the brain. In response, the parasympathetic nervous system sends a signal back to the heart to slow it down, and this is why slowing down your breathing can slow down your heart rate and reduce stress.
By controlling your breathing, you are utilizing your brain to control your brain, and different patterns of breathing can impact the overall state and response of the brain to certain stimuli. This understanding of the mechanical control of breathing can lead to better brain function.
The relationship between breathing and heart rate is an absolutely lock step one where your heart rate follows your breathing. Your inhales increase your heart rate, your exhales decrease it. This is why exhaling can quickly help you take control of your heart rate if it is racing too much.
Rob and his team created a gear system for training that allows them to manipulate the one variable responsible for all other variables in the training process. By looking at a person's breathing in and out of a training situation, they can identify problems and help them recover better.