If you haven’t heard about why you need to increase Carbon Dioxide tolerance check out our blog I’m Out of Breath!
One of the important pieces of that post to keep in mind is the need to increase the C02 in our body so that we become more tolerant to it at high levels. Becoming more tolerant makes us more proficient at using our oxygen and the less we will feel like we are gasping for air during exercise.
So how do we increase the amount of CO2 in our system throughout the day?
Keep your mouth closed
The mandatory first step is also the easiest. Close your mouth. That’s it. Keep your mouth shut. (Hopefully this is the only time you hear that today.) Throughout your day you should always be breathing through your nose. When you breath with your mouth you are able to exhale much more carbon dioxide with your nose. We want to keep that CO2 in.
The second step to closing your mouth throughout the day is to keep it closed during exercise. Unless you are competing within the next two months you really don’t have a reason not to do this. Yes, you will have to slow down on your daily workouts. You also might not win the gold star every day for the best time. But in the long run you will be 10x better off. Take one month, keep your mouth closed and exercise at the intensity level you can handle. Exercise causes CO2 levels to rise drastically, so this method will help you get comfortable with those high levels. Eventually you will get to use your mouth to breathe for certain situations, but we have to start here.
The third step to closing your mouth may seem drastic, but is as important as the first two steps. If you really want to focus on building CO2 you have to ensure your mouth is closed at night. If you do the right things all day long, but then for 8 hours at night you’re a mouth breathin zombie you are just taking 2 steps forward 1 step back everyday. How can you be sure you keep your mouth closed while asleep? Tape it closed obviously! Trust me, its not (too) crazy! If this idea freaks you out check out this tape, it has a hole so you can breathe with your mouth if you really need to.
Questions about Carbon Dioxide or breathing? Email us @ info@trinitystrength.org, text us @ (865)448-5115 or click here to chat with a coach
