Breathing while exercising, doing ninja, parkour or even climbing seems pretty basic. I have lost count of the number of times I've heard the coaches here at Skyhook remind people to breathe. Learning good breath control can be crucial to the success of a ninja on a course and during training.
Just getting the air in isn't enough.
What you are looking for is CONTROLLED and RHYTHMIC breathing which can calm and focus the mind during competition or any high stress environment. Fast, non-syncopated, staccato breathing can throw the body and mind into high anxiety mode but long, deep breaths aren't necessarily the way to go either.
Try counting to 2-3 during inhalation and 3-4 exhalation the next time you feel stressed, you're on a ninja course or during a hard workout! It's not the length of the breath that is most important, but the cadence. Find your rhythm! It may just help you achieve a level you didn't know you could!
This Skyhook Ninja Tip is from our Head Coach Israel Del Rio! He helps our Skyhook Competitive Team perform at the highest level. Come back next Monday for a tip from our Head Routesetter, giving one of the KEYS to climbing harder than ever before!