When I started using PowerLung seventeen years ago, it took me some time to learn how use it to the best advantage. More importantly, I had to learn how to breathe properly to get the most from the training. It was, therefore, no surprise to me when the same thing happened with CrossFit. While still weak in some skills, the improvement in others is more than obvious. Consistency of participation is key to success whether it is CrossFit or PowerLung training. At the beginning of my first month in CrossFit, the best I could do with weights was using 5 lb. dumbbells. One month to the day from beginning CrossFit, I had progressed to front and back squat lifts with 45lbs. In some areas where I have greater flexibility, I am ready to move forward. Like you work on skills in CrossFit training, you work to improve your breathing, maximizing not only your performance but also its ability to help you achieve your exercise goals.
I actually ride my bicycle to and from my CrossFit training for a pre-warmup and post-cool down. I do the same with PowerLung. Before I leave the house and after I return, PowerLung strengthens my breathing. Oh, but I don’t leave my PowerLung at home. I take it with me and use it after Warmup as well as before and after the Workout of the Day (WOD). Many times during the WOD, I feel as if I could really use my PowerLung to help me better regulate my breathing for deeper breaths. So far, I haven’t used it in the WOD. I’m not willing to give up the time to use my PowerLung since the WOD takes me almost the full time – even with adaptions to a few of the skills I am still perfecting.
Another reason I feel like I could easily use PowerLung during the WOD is the heat. I started this process in May in Houston, TX. While not record temperatures by any means, it is still hot and humid here as well as many other places during the summer. Staying hydrated is a very important part of the training, both during and after. I thought I’d stayed hydrated until I started suffering leg cramps at night. I knew there was more work to be done! Better breathing aids in staying hydrated and removal of waste products, created by working muscles, from cells. When you are trying to complete a WOD for time, more efficient breathing uses less energy, leaving you more for your training.
In addition to my three days a week of regular CrossFit training, I now enjoy CrossFit Yoga on Sunday. My pharmacist friend invited me to her “box” for the Yoga class she gives on Sunday morning. I really enjoy the class. As you know, breathing is an important part of Yoga. Check out what Yoga instructor Rudolfo Mari has to say about PowerLung and breathing for Yoga.
Regardless of the heat or how stressful my day, it is always good to join the 5:15 Workout at 5th Gear CrossFit. I feel better immediately, participating to the best of my ability, encouraging and being encouraged by others there to do the same. Each of us is building on a foundation to meet his/her goals for self-improvement or competition. The work I have done with my breathing, by using PowerLung over the years, has helped me perform better in my CrossFit activities.
If you are interested in learning more about how your breathing affects your performance in activities of all kinds, read our white paper on Breathing Dynamics. This paper pinpoints how regular use of PowerLung can help you improve your breathing skill and respiratory muscle performance. If you already have a PowerLung and use it regularly, check out our Knowledge Base for different training programs submitted by users.
