Back in December of last year we reviewed the Oxa wearable breathing coach, the world’s most advanced breathing exercise device. We were seriously impressed by the award-winning product and we have continued to use it ever since the first day we tried it.
The device uses state of the art technology to measure heart rate, breathing rate, and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during each of the breathing exercises you perform from the Oxa app. All of the data is quickly and accurately relayed back to the app to help you keep track of your own health.
The range of exercises is continuing to expand on the Oxa app, catering for all levels from beginner to advanced. We decided to share our three favourite breathing exercises from the app and give you a little bit of info about each. Read below to find out which ones tick the boxes!
1. Instant Stress Relief
Even in our ultra busy lifestyles there’s no excuse for not being able to fit this exercise into your day. Straightforward to do and highly effective it only takes a short 3 minutes to complete. You’ll feel a rapid reduction in your stress and anxiety levels after a round or two of this.
Known as cyclic sighing, this method requires a strong double inhale through the nose, a natural exhale from the mouth, and a short hold of the breath to finish. Closing your eyes and letting go of the day’s worries and problems quickly brings you into a relaxed state. This is one exercise you’ll find yourself returning to time and time again.
2. Resonance Wind Down
Resonance breathing -a form of slow controlled breathing – has been proven to have a multitude of benefits for the body and mind; lowered blood pressure and improved mood for instance. This type of breathing practice synchronises our heart rate and breathing rate,increasing the activity of the Peripheral Nervous System and producing feelings of relaxation and calmness. It has the positive effect of increasing your Heart Rate Variability (the time between heartbeats) score which means you’ll feel the benefit of better overall well-being.
During this ten minute exercise, you take six breaths per minute, inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for six seconds each time. The female voice gently guides you through the exercise and reminds you to keep focused on your breathing, ultimately leading you into a desired state of relaxation and serenity. It’s perfect for doing near bedtime- you’ll fall asleep easier and stay in a deep sleep for a longer time.
3. Power Breathing
Oxa has a fantastic range of exercises for stress reduction, relaxation, sleep, and calmness. There’s also a selection to energise you and increase your mental focus for the day ahead – Power Breathing is one of them.
This fast-paced breathing and high intensity exercise can boost energy, build resilience and increase mental strength. Its practice dates back to ancient Buddhist monks who used this technique to raise their body temperature when meditating in the freezing Himalayas. Breathing through the mouth or nose, you strongly inhale and exhale for a count of two and you’ll perform a couple of breath holds throughout the exercise.
As you aim to gain mastery of power breathing you will see your “ power breathing score” (on a scale of 1 to 100) steadily improve. You’ll find that power breathing is highly effective for clearing the mind too.
Okay, choosing only 3 favourite exercises from the OXA Breathing Coach is a bit difficult, so we’re going to sneak in one more that’s quickly became one of our favourites.“Humming Breath 6:15” is a pleasant and enjoyable one to do. Humming while exhaling increases nitric oxide production which in turn gives your immune system a big boost. Fantastic stuff.
