Sometimes it is hard to fit in breath hold exercises on a day to day basis. Waking up early to head to an office job and then back in the evening is time and energy consuming on its own. You learned how to do apnea walking with an oximeter in Jaap’s article (link below), but finding the time to pull out pulse oximeter and timer at home isn’t always the reality we live in. So how do you fit some easy and effective breath hold exercises in your daily routine?

In this article, I’ll walk you through (get it?) easy, day-to-day techniques that you can apply to your daily commute to work, to the grocery store or the park. It works best if you have an established path that you walk on a daily basis. For  example the route you take to work every day.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• It’s best to find a commuting route that you do everyday, even if it’s just a few blocks or streets long (i.e. walking to the bus stop).
• Remove time from the equation: forget about timing yourself, or how long you are holding your breath. We have a tendency to always time our performances, but we don’t always need to. The goal of this exercise is to integrate breath holding into your daily routine.
•  Gauge your performance for example by counting your steps while holding your breath. You will find that over time you will be able to take more steps per breath hold with shorter recovery periods.

Some apnea walking examples

1. If you have 5 blocks from your house to your workplace, try at first to only take 10 recovery breaths for the first block (i.e. 10 breaths spaced out however you want over the entire block length), 8 for the second block, 6 for the third, and so on. If it’s too easy then decrease the recovery breaths you take in per block. If it’s slightly too hard, then adjust accordingly.
2. If you daily walk by certain landmarks like fire hydrants, trees or parking signs you can use these. One week you hold your breath from that oak tree to the fire hydrant, the next week you try to hold it to the parking sign 10m beyond that. The week after that you aim for the end of the block. Using well known landmarks on your route can help you relax by not always monitoring your watch or the distance covered.
3. If you don’t walk the same route every day you can simply count steps. I like to start with 10 steps, one recovery breath, then 20 steps, one recovery breath, then 30 steps, one recovery breath and then finally 40 steps and then one recovery breath. Then I head back down (i.e. 30, 20 and 10) and then back up (i.e. 20, 30, and 40). Keep doing this “pyramid” interval until your reach your workplace. If it’s too difficult, then start with taking two or three recovery breaths in between and going up to only 30 steps per breath hold.
4. If you live in a high-rise, no more elevators! Start by holding your breath for one storey, taking only one recovery breath in between, and continuing up to the next storey. If it’s too simple (i.e. you live only on the 6th floor) then try walking up two storeys on one breath, with only one recovery breath in between. Adjust this to your preference and of course make sure you’re being safe at all times.
5. If you take the train, bus or subway, then you’re in luck. Sitting down (or standing) with ear plugs in to cancel out the noise, you can play a game: hold your breath in between stops and only take recovery breaths when the vehicle is stationary. Since the route is constant, you can easily gauge your performance over time, and try holding your breath for two or more stops!

If you do these exercises in the morning you will be more energetic and “awake” once you arrive at work. In the afternoon they are a great way to relieve yourself of work related stress.

Remember, only push yourself within your limits, practice safely and never hyperventilate. Start slowly and listen to your body. Over time, you will find that your legs tend to adjust to the build-up of lactate, and the contractions become more bearable.

A practical guide to apnea walking

Before you start training, know the risks. Apnea walking, and any exercise involving apnea, can lead to loss of consciousness, injury, or even death. These exercises are meant for certified & trained freedivers.