08 Nov BOOST YOUR BREATH HOLD ⏳

BOOST YOUR BREATH HOLD!
It’s not often we give ourselves the chance to sit down and practice the art of breath-holding. It takes plenty of patience and it’s a delicate skill to master. However, if you can take just 10 minutes out of your day to practice this game-changing method, then you too will instantly see a boost in your breath-hold skills.

WHY GIVE IT AGO?
This technique will work wonders for your surfing, whether it’s for a confidence boost or for when you’re surfing bigger waves. There are also many health benefits of this breathing method, such as; Stress release, faster recovery from physical exertion, improved sleep, better sports performance, enhanced creativity and more focus and mental clarity.

PLEASE NOTE❗
The following information is to be used as a guide. We’ve gathered this information from many different sources (like SurferToday.com), friends and professionals. We personally have also tried and tested the below techniques to offer you a basic guide. We only recommend practising these techniques if you are fit, healthy and have someone around.

HOW TO DO IT:
So you want to boost your breathing? The secret, it’s all in your lungs. Breathing exercises to increase lung capacity are not a myth, but you’ll hold your breath longer without a clock stressing your brain. Therefore, dry training is the best way to start improving your breath-hold.

THE TECHNIQUE:
Although you might not believe it, you can rapidly learn how to hold your breath for five minutes. Take it step-by-step. One of the secrets is to keep muscles ultra-relaxed and quiet so that they don’t waste oxygen.

Here’s a simple program to holding your breath for long periods of time:

1️⃣  Start breathing slowly for 60 seconds;

We recommend 30 in and out-breaths.

2️⃣  Take one last deep breath in, then exhale everything;

3️⃣  Then hold your breath;

4️⃣  Relax;

5️⃣  When you reach your limit, inhale deeply and recover.

Repeat the process a few times, and you’ll notice that your breath-hold extends as weeks go by. In a month, you’ll be able to improve your breathing significantly, more or less according to the following pattern:

Before vs. After
≤ 60 seconds | 180 seconds
+- 90 seconds | 240 seconds
≥ 120 seconds | 300 seconds

REMEMBER:
The three most important things when training your breathing system are: relaxation of the muscles, relaxation of the mind and relaxation of the breath. REMEMBER DO NOT PUSH YOUR LIMITS. Progress slowly, and comfortably.

Let us know how you get on!

We recommend using the Wim Hoff Method App to keep track and guide you through the practice.

📸  @mattpowerphoto of the incredibly talented @camillerdp who we often girl crush over her and her beautiful photography.

Want to become more confident in the water? Check out our 5 Ways to Fight Fear Whilst Surfing.