poor vo2 max

[gloryb2god]

Hi,

I am overweight and have been my whole life. I have been working out five times a week for over 15 years with Cathe (and others) although I do have to modify some of the moves. I've recently discovered that I'm a shallow breather. When the instructor says "deep breath in" I'm done after four to five seconds and they just keep inhaling. When I'm doing aerobics like Rhythmic Step I try to focus on my breathing and find that my lung capacity is just not there. It takes me a few breaths to feel like I've really filled up my lungs and emptied them. I think not being able to breathe all the way is making the workouts more difficult for me. Is this possible? What can I do to fix this or is it just some genetic factor about me like being 5 feet tall?

Thanks for the help.

Lisa

 

[CathydsRNA]

Hi, Don't second guess your lung capacity or have someone second guess it for you. If you have any concerns schedule an appointment with your doctor. He/she can measure it easily in the office and check out anything else that might be getting in the way of a peak exercise performance. Some breathing problems can be improved.

 

[trevor]

Just keep in mind....

that if you are speaking of the "blow test" that they commonly use in doctor's offices, that test is pretty useless. My doctor told me that if you have smaller lungs comparably, then you will not register good number on that test. Also, it seems to be very dependent on how you blow into it and how your mouth is placed over the pipe. I barely pass that test yet there aren't too many people who wanna challenge me to an all out cardio pukefest.
If you are just a shallow breather and it's not affecting your exercising then don't worry about it. I shallow breathe and it actually saves me energy in muscle movements I believe.
If you are concerned about VO2 Max, then get it tested. The blow test is not VO2 max....
Trevor

 

[Bobbi]

RE: Just keep in mind....

Hi, glory2god!

You'd think that breathing woud be as natural as, well, breathing! But not so! It fairly common to breath shallowly. We live in a fast paced world and stress and busyness can make your breath shallowly. When you are used to breathing a certain way, deepening it can seem difficult and even make you dizzy but it's something anyone can change. Consciously make your breathe fuller. Do more endurance work too. IMAX and running and intense workouts force you to learn to suck up more air. And relax. VO2 Max is really of the most interest to endurance athletes. You can learn to breath more deeply and you'll probably end up feeling less stressed out if you do. Good luck!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

 

[candi]

RE: Just keep in mind....

Hello,

I am a shallow breather, also. I was an asthmatic until the age of 22. Thank goodness I finally grew out of it. I am only 5 feet tall.

What helped my cardio breathing capacity was doing IMAX at least once a week. I made myself get through it the first time but thought I was going to pass out. I continued on for several weeks and then got the Maximum Intensity Cardio video. I added this as part of my weekly rotation. Again, thought I was going to die (but didn't!)

Don't get me wrong, they are still tough, but I can get through them much more easily and really enjoy doing them. It took me a good year to get to that point though!

This is what worked for me...but, we're all different. I wouldn't push myself unless I was cleared by a doctor!

p.s. Have you tried deap breating exercises? To teach myself breathing awareness, my doctor told me to set some time aside five minutes a day to lay down on the floor and breath from my abdomen, very deeply and then breathe out. With this method, you can train yourself to breath from your abdomen when you catch yourself breathing shallow.

 

[luv2bfit]

RE: Yoga

Hello Lisa,

All the posters had good advice and input. I have had trouble breathing for years and I've found the extra cardio really helped including yoga. Yoga focuses on the breath so I would recommend a relaxation yoga tape to start with (little exertion therefore not adding any more stress to you while you're practicing your breathing). I like and use Candlelight Yoga with Sara Ivanhoe (approx 45 min)- it's very relaxing and IMO, Sara is very down to earth and breaks down the yoga moves in simple easy to understand terms. HTH!

Elizabeth