Don’t Hold your Breath
If you’ve been in an exercise class you may have heard your instructor say,” Don’t forget to breathe.” And you may have said to yourself, “of course I’m, breathing.”
It’s common to hold your breath when you’re concentrating on an activity, such as exercise, or struggling with a simple task, such as opening a lid on a jar. And often, you don’t even realize that you’re doing it. When you hold your breath, however, you limit oxygen to your muscles just when they need it the most. Because you muscle can’t perform to their capacity without adequate oxygen, you become more easily fatigued.
To keep from holding your breath, exhale when you exert the most energy, such as twisting a jar or lid or lifting a heavy box from the floor. Your body will naturally respond by breathing air in.
