Controlled Pause Exercise - Restore Nasal Breathing

[@yvonnemariane2265]

What a thrill it would be to have an in-person session with Ashley! Meanwhile these videos are such a blessing...

[@pjgs4933]

Hi! I'm excited to try this exercise. Do you have a video on exercises that help achieve proper lip seal without overactivating the mentalis? My resting position for my mouth is open, and when I close my lips together I over-activate my mentalis and it looks like a golf ball. However, when I smile, my chin looks great! Basically, how can I get a proper lip seal so that my lips close together without activating the mentalis and creating that bump? Thanks a lot!

[@allsleepashley]

I don't yet have videos for this. Do you hypothesize that your upper and/or lower lip is relatively short, that your front teeth are angled forward making it difficult for your lips to cover your front teeth, and/or your lower jaw is substantially set back compared to your upper jaw? Also, have you been trying to keep a sealed lip posture despite it straining your mentalis? Clearly, there could be a variety of causes and thus a variety of solutions :)

[@faramund9865]

My normal breathing sounds like the heavy breathing...

[@thelongview4360]

Hi Ashley, I am just getting into better nasal breathing. I find that I only have a problem when exercising and trying to pull a larger volume of air through the nose. A Breath Right strip totally solves the problem, but I am wondering if this is reversible. I am about 100lbs with a small face and nose. I don't feel stuffed up. Think I might have some nasal valve collapse going on. As soon as the airway is widened, I can pass any volume of air through it. I am making an effort to nasal breathe all the time and am using tape at night to make sure that I don't unconsciously mouth breathe. Will controlled pauses improve or reverse any collapse (I am 60), or is this just a situation I need to manage during exercise with a nasal dilator? Thanks for the great content.

[@allsleepashley]

If you were experiencing nasal valve collapse in a resting state, I would say controlled pauses may help decrease collapse by decreasing your respiratory rate and speed of air intake if practiced over time. I think it is unlikely that controlled pauses would decrease nasal valve collapse during exercise unless you are extremely deconditioned... in which case training a controlled pause and increasing your aerobic conditioning may decrease the speed at which air enters your nasal cavity during light and moderate exercise... making the valve less likely to collapse. I have not tested this theory, so if you do, please let me know what you find out.

[@aymalkhan5781]

How many times we should do control pause?

[@aymalkhan5781]

Can we do control pause excersise for 1 hour?

[@AM2K2]

Hi - I saw Patrick Mckeown who does 'buteyko breathing' show a similar method but he rocks his head back and forward whilst holding - is that not required? Thanks.

[@allsleepashley]

It depends on what your goal is. It's my understanding that he teaches rocks back and forth to add more muscle activity, which will deplete O2 and build CO2 even faster than just sitting without movement. You could do either. You could also walk or run while doing these.

[@genemodin5506]

@@allsleepashley He also uses the rocking the head back and forth to decongest either or both of the nasal passages.

[@aniccaanatta1774]

Hi Ashley 😘😘😘

[@allsleepashley]

Hello! :)

[@Hope-uk9kf]

Same other videos only talk. Need to show action how do it right and timing, etc. just talking and just show nose plug doesn’t help by doing the exercises properly. Need show the action whole exercise so do it right.

[@allsleepashley]

Hi Amal. I vary the specifics of this exercise based on who I am prescribing it to. It will not be the same for everyone. If you want to know more about specifics, it may be worth reading Patrick McKeown's book The Oxygen Advantage. I don't think exactly along his lines and have modified the exercise a bit, but this will give you more information so you can figure out what works best for you. Please let me know if you have more specific information on your own case that may help me make more specific recommendations for you.