So often, we get psyched about stepping onto the weight room floor and pushing steel that we forget one fundamental factor that prevents injury: Proper breathing.
How many times have you gone to lift a dumbbell or squat weight and as a result pulled a muscle because you failed to breathe properly? Weight-lifting takes focus. Not only is proper breathing important during training but also for relaxation so that you can recover faster and produce energy.
Exhale on the positive portion of the movement and inhale on the negative. For example, when you curl a barbell, take a deep breath just before the curl and exhale as you bring the barbell towards your body. If you are on a lying hamstring curl machine, inhale while the legs are extended and exhale as you bring the weight toward you. The goal is to exhale after you have passed the most difficult part of the lift; That is, the sticking point. You are communicating to your muscles to relax rather than remain contracted. On the flip side, you do not want to hold your breath for too long because you could black out. Nice short breaths for two to three seconds will due.
Not only is proper breathing important for weight-trainers but also for athletes who perform explosive movements, such as endurance runners, because proper breathing generates greater force before they take off for a sprint.
Even when you move furniture or lift a heavy box, always take a deep breath and bend your knees. You will find that proper breathing produces more power, and that power could mean the difference between a weak lower back and a strong one.
Try this stretching technique: Take a deep breath while standing upright. As you lower yourself towards your toes, exhale. At first, you may notice that you can't touch your toes, but after trying this exercise combined with proper breathing three times in a row, you will be able to touch your toes more easily. This is because the oxygen you just inhaled has caused your hamstring and gluteal muscles to relax providing better range of motion. As for you loud, burley weight-lifters in the gym who grunt at every opportunity to prove your strength and disturb other members, you should instead focus on exhaling rather than expending energy with unnecessary noise. And for those who use the gym as a social outlet, please take care not to interrupt someone who is in the middle of a lift. Your gift for gab could cause injury to your gym-mate.
Finally, by strengthening your respiratory muscles, you are able to take in more oxygen and ultimately build greater cardiovascular endurance. The stronger your endurance the better your breathing becomes and, as a result, the greater chances of preventing injury.