The heart is, of course, the largest and most critical muscle we possess. Athletes find the need to tax that muscle on a regular basis. In competitive mode, we put even more stressful demand on the heart muscle. Therefore, it is important to pay much attention to the exercising of the heart.
This may be as simple as breathing. The heart slows and anxiety is reduced when deep breathing is employed. Pilates and Yoga are two forms of organised relaxation technique and include deep breathing in the most natural form. It can be a most invigorating experience.
The deep and slow breathing can help push toxic material from the body and boost your immune system. The oxygenation of your blood will relieve depressing feelings and lack of motivation. The cells of the body will get a wakeup call by improving circulation.
Common ailments experienced by athletes can find some relief with the improved circulatory function. We have all felt the nagging back pain, muscle strain and tensed tendons, and headaches. Those can literally be eased away by these deep breathing exercises.
For general toning and good health, the fat content in the body will be reduced. The metabolism speeds up and the body burns excess fat. This benefit has been reported by Dr. Kyrin Hall of the Couture Curves weight control programme.
Yoga teaches a breathing technique to slow the breathing down to a target of two per minute. Pilates combines spinal alignment with concentrated breathing techniques.
