Big breaths ( I had to be careful how I typed that)..

Today I’d like to share what I’ve learnt about breath control.

As a lifelong big girl I’m constantly having a battle with myself to cover up the fact that when I do things that raise my heart rate it makes me out of breath .   So what is my brilliant master plan  in order to cover up the fact that, yes I do get out of breath sometimes …..it is …to hold my breath.

And so …!!!vicious circle alert !!! when you hold your breath to mask the fact that you’re out of breath you end up gasping for breath which defeats the object of holding your breath in the first place.

So here is the science bit….

From oxygenplus.com ( a retailer of sport performance oxygen)

“Cellular respiration is the process in which your muscles use oxygen to produce ATP energy. It’s a relatively straightforward process. Normally, your body obtains oxygen from the air you breathe. It enters the blood stream and is carried to your muscles, where some of it is used immediately, and the rest is stored by a compound called myoglobin. Whether you’re exercising or not, the oxygen in your body is used to break down glucose and create the fuel for your muscles called ATP.

During exercise, your muscles have to work harder, which increases their demand for oxygen. This is why your breathing and heart rates increase, to pull more oxygen into the bloodstream. As you exercise, the oxygen that reaches your muscles never leaves, but rather sets to work immediately converting the available glucose into ATP.

So, what happens when your body runs out of oxygen, or your other systems simply can’t deliver it to your muscles quickly enough? Your muscles begin converting glucose into lactic acid instead of energy, anaerobic exercise takes over, power output drops and fatigue sets in. Unfortunately, anaerobic exercise can only continue for so long before your muscles run out of energy completely and reach fatigue.”

For me everyday is a school day,  from this I’ve learnt that if you don’t establish the right breathing rhythm when you’re working out you’re starving your muscles of oxygen.  When you starve your muscles of oxygen they fatigue quicker so that horrible burning feeling you feel any muscles when they’re getting tired that cold numbness that makes you feel like you going to puke News Flash ,, that’s because you’re not breathing.  Oh and ATP is adenosine triphosphate or the energy currency of life it is the science term for how your cells use oxegyn. Cuz that’s science innit!

Now we get the problem (eventually) …  I have always held my breath when I’ve been exercising, I hold my breath walking up the stairs, I hold my breath if I have to walk fast someone. Holding my breath to cover up the fact that I’m out of breath is a habit.  It’s a difficult habit to break I have to literally tell myself to breathe.

It’s a bit of a dodgy relationship I’ve got with exercise I have so much to think about all at once that sometimes just fall out with myself.

My worst critic is my best friend and the only person on this planet who knows me.   My worst critic is the person who drives me the hardest the only person who can make any changes in my life.

My worst critic is named … Louise and she needs to stop blubbing and get a grip.  But this girl is stubborn and stuck in her ways and sometimes just needs a bloody slap, and I don’t mean kinky 50 shades of slap I mean a proper run up shot in the kisser.