PEAK PERFORMANCEDays to result

Box Breathing Framework

Breathe to recover

Problem it solves

People whose fear or anxiety responses in peak performance contexts prevent them from taking the courageous actions required for meaningful progress.

Best for

Individuals who engage in regular exercise or experience stress

Not ideal for

Those who do not engage in regular physical activity or do not experience stress

Overview

Why this framework exists

The Box Breathing Framework is a set of breathing exercises designed to help individuals reduce stress and improve recovery. This framework includes techniques such as box breathing and cyclic sighing to help calm the nervous system and reduce inflammation.

Core principles

3 total
  1. Breathing exercises can help reduce stress and improve recovery
  2. Box breathing can help calm the nervous system and reduce inflammation
  3. Cyclic sighing can help reduce stress and improve relaxation

Steps

2 steps
  1. Practice box breathing
    Practice box breathing by inhaling for 5 seconds, holding for 5 seconds, exhaling for 5 seconds, and holding again for 5 seconds.
    Pro tipPractice box breathing immediately after exercise for optimal results
    WarningMay not be suitable for individuals with certain medical conditions
  2. Practice cyclic sighing
    Practice cyclic sighing by inhaling for 2 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds, and repeating for 5 minutes.
    Pro tipPractice cyclic sighing immediately after exercise for optimal results
    WarningMay not be suitable for individuals with certain medical conditions

Checklist

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Examples

1 cases
Athlete example

An athlete practices box breathing and cyclic sighing after a workout and experiences reduced stress and improved recovery.

OutcomeImproved performance and reduced injury risk

Common mistakes

2 traps
Not practicing breathing exercises
Not practicing breathing exercises can reduce the effectiveness of recovery
Not using proper technique
Not using proper technique can reduce the effectiveness of breathing exercises

Origin story

How this framework came to be

The framework is based on scientific research and studies on breathing and relaxation. It is designed to help individuals optimize their recovery and improve their overall fitness and performance.

Source

Traced to primary
Source · PODCAST
Dr. Andy Galpin: Maximize Recovery to Achieve Fitness & Performance Goals | Huberman Lab
Andrew Huberman · 2023
Open source →