ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR

We have already covered the benefits of movement in depth, but here is a reminder: exercise improves everything. In particular, it can…:

• · improve your mental health (in studies, exercise has outperformed Zoloft)

• · enhance cognitive function

• · boost serotonin (the happiness chemical)

• · boost dopamine (the motivation molecule)

• · boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (to promote new neuron growth)

• · relieve stress

• · be a driver to other healthy habits

• · improve sleep

• · promote a longer healthspan

• · promote a longer life span

• · promote a healthy cardiovascular system

• · reduce the risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause)

BREATH WORK

We breathe all day long, and our breath has immense power over our emotions and our biology. When we are stressed, we tend to take short and shallow breaths, which speeds up our heart rate and can increase our anxiety. When we are relaxed, we tend to take longer, deeper breaths, which slows heart rate. SimplyPut simply, inhales inhaling increases heart rate, exhales exhaling slows heart rate. We can impact our mood and biology by taking control of how we breathe. If you want to relax, focus on slow, deep breaths with a longer exhale than inhale.

Here are a few examples of breath work that you can try today.

Box Breathing

This is a tool that is used in many high high-stress situations and professions. Box breathing is often used and was popularized by the Navy Seals and Marines, who use it to increase mental sharpness and relax the body, i. It offers a focused and calm state. Box breathing is a rhythmic and controlled way of breathing. It’s simple, but not always easy. Here is how to do it. Exhale to a count of four, then hold your lungs empty for a four-count. Next, inhale to a count of four, and hold air in your lungs for a count of four before exhaling and beginning the pattern again.

Physiological Sigh

This is a technique that has been made widely known by neuroscientist, Andrew Huberman, but was discovered by Jack Feldman at UCLA. This is a spontaneous innate pattern of breathing that is controlled by a subset of neurons in the brain stem, (the parafacial nucleus). Every three to five minutes we take a very deep breath, sometimes followed by another short inhale, and then a long exhale. The double or deep breath re-inflates the alveoli in your lungs, and on the exhale, you offload carbon dioxide. Stress also increases as carbon dioxide increases the body.

This can be a great tool to reduce stress and anxiety. In Huberman's Huberman’s laboratory found that one, two, or three Physiological physiological sighs can reduce stress levels dramatically.

The Wim Hof Method

Wim Hof is a renowned cold therapy expert that who has a focus on breath work, and cold immersion.

Step 1: Get Comfortable

Assume a meditation posture—: sitting, lying down—, whichever is most comfortable to you. Make sure you can expand your lungs freely without feeling any constriction.

Step 2: Take 30– to 40 Deep Breaths

Close your eyes and try to clear your mind. Be conscious of your breath, and try to fully connect with it. Inhale deeply through the nose or mouth, and exhale unforced through the mouth. Fully inhale through the belly, then the chest, and then let go unforced. Repeat this 30 to 40 times in short, powerful bursts. You may experience light-headedness and tingling sensations in your fingers and feet. These side effects are completely harmless, but as always, consult a doctor if you have questions about the safety of a wellness or exercise practice.

Step 3: The Hold

After the last exhalation, inhale one final time, as deeply as you can. Then let the air out and stop breathing. Hold until you feel the urge to breathe again.

Step 4: Recovery Breath

When you feel the urge to breathe again, draw in one big breath to fill your lungs. Feel your belly and chest expanding. When you are at full capacity, hold the breath for around 15 seconds, then let go.

That completes round number one. This cycle can be repeated three to four times. After having completed the breathing exercise, take time to bask in the bliss that results. This calm state is highly conducive to meditation—don’t hesitate to combine the two.

Mouth Tape At Night

We are meant to breathe through our noses, as they are designed to be our primary inhalation mechanism. Nasal breathing helps to filter from the air things like pollutants, allergens, bacteria, and viruses through the turbinates and other internal parts of the nose. Nasal breathing also humidifies the air that you breathe, produces nitric oxide (nitric oxide increases blood flow), and helps the facial muscles and bones develop. (When you are breathing through the nose, the jaw and tongue are in the proper position, so you can actually tell by the shape of a person’s face if they are mouth breathing!)

 A biohack that you can try is mouth taping at night. This is a really simple practice but should be implemented with caution, so maybe try it when you have a partner in bed with you. This also should not be practiced if you have a runny nose or any nasal passage blockage. All you do is take a piece of medical tape and place it over your mouth at night. This will force you to breathe through the nose, offering better oxygen saturation and a better night’s sleep.

Sauna

The sauna is an incredible health optimization practice that has been used for centuries to promote better health. There are numerous benefits of the sauna, including improved cardiovascular health, better physical fitness and endurance, lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, improved mental health (especially less depression), excretion of heavy metals via sweat, potential lower risk of high cholesterol and hypertension, possible extension of healthspan, and improved mood and response to endorphins.

 The sauna mimics moderate aerobic exercise, so many of the physiological responses that take place during aerobic exercise are also generated through sauna use. The sauna is a great way to boost blood flow to the brain, and as we spoke about earlier, there is a direct link between blood flow to the brain and better brain health. Optimal sauna use is four times per week for better cardiovascular and brain health. Studies have revealed a 40 percent lower risk from all-cause mortality versus those who used the sauna once per week.4