Issue #137: How Deep Breathing Extends Your Longevity
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, February 28th.
Today's Quick Win
Forward this to 1 person you think needs it today.
*For details on how to do "Deep Breathing" check out directions in From the Lab.
“What the bodily form depends on is breath (chi) and what breath relies upon is form. When breath is perfect, the form is perfect.”
From the Lab: Our Second Heart
Speed Read: You Can Create THC?
Tuesday QR: Mango Ginger Rice Bowl
Bucket List: Free Diving
World record for longest breath-hold under water. This actually goes up to 24 min and 37 secs when the inhale is 100% oxygen. (The Guardian)
From the Lab
Yesterday we talked about cyclic sighing (Issue #136).
The power of our breath goes beyond a mental reset and positive vibes.
Our lung capacity is one of the greatest indicators of life span. (Framingham Study) Between the ages of 30-50 we lose 12% of our lung capacity and this continues to decline as we get older - hence why so many respiratory diseases hit in old age.
Thought to be fixed (what you got was what you got) - our lungs can be trained like a muscle and the right techniques can expand our capacity.
This isn’t just about seeing who can hold their breath the longest (see Stat of the Day).
Our blood circulates through our body every minute, pushed by the thoracic pump of our heart. But the pump actually has its own power source - the diaphragm.
You know when your yoga instructor or singing teacher or running coach tells you to dig deep with your breath down in your gut, that’s where your diaphragm comes in. But most of us only use 10% capacity of our diaphragm.
These quick, short breaths overburden our heart - leading to high blood pressure and a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease (I'm guilty).
Taking these shallow breaths also changes our posture - I’m sure we all would recognize the posture of someone with high shoulders and neck sticking forward (maybe ourselves).
So how can we get to 50-70% capacity of our diaphragm so that we can live longer, better, and smarter (more oxygen also supports brain health)?
It starts with the exhale - with a lazy exhale we don’t get all the stale air (and carbon dioxide) out. Full exhalation inflates our 500 million alveoli 2x compared to a normal breath (this is why we sigh involuntarily 5 times every hour).
BTW - these tiny sacs have a combined surface area of 750 sq ft - so we've got a lot to work with!
Breathing Exercise
Sit up with a straight back and neck (chin parallel to floor)
Take an easy breath in to fill up lungs and then as you start to exhale start counting out loud from 1 to 10 until you would normally be done exhaling
Then continue counting in a whisper and then in your head (1 to 10) until you are lungs are completely empty - it should be at least a couple of times counting to 10.
Repeat from 10 to 30 breaths
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
You're not going to find a better library of 1,000+ workouts in a single app - seriously! Check out Strongest!
Answer a few questions about you, your health, and your goals and Strongest builds workout plans 100% personalized to you.
Strongest makes working out easy and you develop the right habits that work for you - everything is personalized to your goals.
Download the app for free - Click HERE
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Your Body Creates THC?: Not exactly, but it does produce chemicals called endocannabinoids. With receptors in the brain (CB1) and immune system (CB2) there's a lot of research of the benefits these chemicals have on our health. (Inverse)
Stressed at Work: What’s new? Maybe how to help. 1) mentally detach, not just physically; 2) leverage micro-breaks (see Pomodoro technique from Issue #113 or breathing.ai); and 3) identify and prioritize your best recovery activities. (HBR)
Weather + Old Injuries: We’ve been complaining about injuries during bad weather since at least Hippocrates 2,500 years ago. The science is still open as to why, but the leading theory is how nerves respond to your environment. The prescription = warm up a little more before workouts or, as I tell Max, move to Florida. (NYTimes)
Tuesday QR (Quick Recipe)
We've been on a real mango kick in our house (kids love 'em). Here's a great quick lunch bowl that's delicious and packed with a bunch of good nutrients - like ginger for digestion, carrots for beta carotene, and avocado for healthy fat.
Pro Tip: Sub in your favorite protein like salmon, organic/grass-fed steak, or organic chicken thighs for the black beans.
Bucket List
Free Diving
I'm not going to be spending minutes under water any time soon. But all this talk about lung capacity has me intrigued to be able to hold my breath if I take a on a big wave and want to see something cool when I'm snorkeling. But the video from Guillaume Nery is pretty incredible. Maybe just some beginner free dives for us mere mortals.
Thanks for joining us today!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback? Tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com
Want this direct to your inbox? Sign up here
Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
Sign up for free:
The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.