Use Stress to Create Calm (5:20:10)

You will see this exercise in the breathing for calm and focus section of the course.

A 5:20:10 (inhale:hold:exhale) restricts your breathing to around 2 breath cycles per minute.

See the questions below and comment with your answers. I will be posting a follow up to this post.

Could this exercise be used as a calming breathing practice?
What do you think will happen in terms of arterial oxygenation saturation? Oxygen saturation (SpO2) is a measurement of how much oxygen your blood is carrying as a percentage of the maximum it could carry. It is a reading out of 100%. Normal Sp02 is between 95-98% and can be recorded on a simple pulse oximeter.
If one day you find this exercise easy (no stress or air huger) and another day you find it more difficult, what is that a reflection of?
This is an exercise I would regularly use at the start of a recovery session with athletes we train (see pic below). Why would I start with this? what am I trying to learn about the state of the athlete with this exercise?

FYI - Generally 2 things result in a low Sp02 readings below 95%

An inability of the lungs to inhale and send oxygen to all cells and tissues
An inability of the bloodstream to circulate to the lungs, collect oxygen, and transport it around the body

Try performing a 5:20:10 for 2 minutes and see how you feel. Use the breathing pacer.

Rip in with some answers or questions

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