statistics

Patch Your Breath, and Wim Hof’s Slow Breathing Method?

 

Happy Monday, and welcome back to another issue of The Breathing 411. Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for you to reflect on this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Instead of a Bigger Engine, Patch the Hole in Your Boat

If you have a hole in your boat, a bigger engine or better fuel might keep you afloat longer. A more aerodynamic design might help you temporarily go faster. But either way, you’ll still be slowly sinking until you patch the hole.

Your breathing is that hole. You can eat better, workout harder, and take more supplements, which will all be very helpful. But until you "patch" your breath, you’ll never see the true potential of your energy and performance.

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing from the Cleveland Clinic

"But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic."

- Diaphragmatic Breathing, Cleveland Clinic

Last week, we discussed how diaphragmatic breathing improves recovery. Here’s a brief article from The Cleveland Clinic (regarded as one of the best hospitals and research centers worldwide) on how to get started.

Enjoy!

3. Become a Breathing Flâneur

"The flâneur continuously—and, what is crucial, rationally—modifies his target as he acquires information."

- Nassim Taleb, Antifragile

I propose we become breathing flâneurs. Let’s not be rigid with our techniques, but rather be open to change as we get new information.

Importantly, let’s rationally modify our approach based on the best information we have and the circumstances we find ourselves in.

The best way to do this is to have many options to choose from (slow breathing, Oxygen Advantage, Wim Hof, and so on) and use them as needed.

4. Wim Hof’s Slow Breathing Method - A Thought on Statistics

Here’s a fun thought about the infamous Kox et al. (2013) study on the Wim Hof Method (WHM). This paper scientifically validated that the WHM can allow people to control their autonomic nervous system and innate immune system.

There is a plot (their Figure 2) showing about 10.8 minutes of data. In that time, participants did 3 rounds of hyperventilation, and 3 breath holds. Each hyperventilation session was ~30 breaths. So, over the 10.8 minutes, they took about 90 breaths. On average, that’s ~8.3 breaths/min.

Thus, from a statistical perspective, the Wim Hof Method is slow breathing.

Now consider how much different it is to "breathe at 8 breaths/min for 11 minutes" compared to "performing three rounds of the WHM." This is why we must always put statistics into context…

But it’s also just fun to ponder : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable."

- Mark Twain

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: About 50% of the oxygen you breathe originated from this location.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the ocean?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. A fun thought exercise.

 
 

How to reduce anxiety and prevent disease

“Anxiety is often excitement and anticipation without the breath.”
- Michael Port


Hi all,

It seems like everywhere we look stress and anxiety are on the rise.

For example, did you know that 1 in 3 adolescents meet the criteria for anxiety in the United States? Or that 14% of active duty military report anxiety?

Not only are these stats devastating in general, but they also have negative implications for long-term health and well-being.

Let’s look at the numbers:

  • Anxiety increases the incidence of cardiovascular disease by 52%.

  • Stress-related conditions increase risk of autoimmune disease by 36%.

Thus, anxiety isn’t just bad in the moment, it also subjects you to chronic illness.

This is where breathing can help. Slow, deep breathing improves both subjective (e.g., questionnaires) and physiological (e.g., heart rate variability, parasympathetic activity, brain wave activity) indicators of anxiety, stress, and depression.

That last part is critical.

This isn’t some woo-woo, “just take a deep breath” stuff. Correct breathing changes your physiology to promote relaxation and focus. This reduces anxiety and improves your ability to deal with stress. All of which reduces your risk of disease.

Of course, breathing won’t fix everything. But, with essentially no side effects, it seems like slow breathing should be the first place we turn in the treatment of stress and anxiety.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. If you haven’t heard of the Health & Human Performance Foundation (HHPF), you should check them out. They are a nonprofit organization conducting scientific research on the effectiveness of breathing for stress and anxiety. Click here to learn more about HHPF.