A Danger of Breathwalking, and How I Almost Stepped on It

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Welcome to another issue of The Breathing 411,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer to consider this week.

There’s also a fun bonus thought on the “Dangers of Breathwalking.”

I hope you enjoy it!

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4 Thoughts

1. The Lungs Lead, Heart and Mind Follow

“This knowledge is spreading back to the West through disciplines such as yoga and mindfulness, but also through techniques aimed at improving endurance, and even intimacy. These practices demonstrate that the mind and the heart follow the lungs, not the other way around.”

- Michael J. Stephenson, MD from Breath Taking

Study after study has shown that breathing gives you access and control over your heart and mind, in ways such as increasing heart rate variability and synchronizing brain waves. That is, the lungs lead, the heart and mind follow.

But even with all this research, sometimes it takes an eloquent quote from a respected pulmonologist to make it seem so obvious.

Related: HBR: Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress

Related Quote: “The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.” -Kahlil Gibran

2. Why Slow Nasal Breathing Could Be More Important in Type-2 Diabetes

Both type-1 and type-2 diabetes benefit from slow nasal breathing.

However, it could be more beneficial in type-2 diabetes since the primary issues there are reduced insulin production and reduced insulin sensitivity.

And it just so happens that slow breathing increases insulin production and improves insulin sensitivity. But maybe most importantly, nasal breathing helps you sleep better, which will indirectly boost insulin sensitivity.

Obviously, slow breathing isn’t going to cure you of type-2. But it’s safe, effective, and super practical. It seems like a no-brainer.

P.S. For T1Ds like me, all these things are still very helpful. We just won’t get the added benefit of increased insulin production…stupid pancreas…

3. How to Improve Concentration Using Your Breath

“by focusing on and regulating your breathing you can optimize your attention level and likewise, by focusing on your attention level, your breathing becomes more synchronized.”

- How to Improve Concentration Using Your Breath

In this great short article, you’ll learn that to improve your concentration, “It’s as simple as breathing through your nose.”

You’ll also get some excellent quotes from James Nestor and the director of the Yale Stress Center. Well worth the quick read. Enjoy!

Related: The nose knows: How breathing through your nose improves your health (This was linked in the Thrive article—it’s an excellent deep dive into the benefits of nose breathing, mainly from clinical doctors. I absolutely loved it. I just didn’t agree with the very last sentence.)

4. John Wayne’s Perfect Breathing Advice (almost)

“Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much.”

- John Wayne, Advice on acting

If we replace “talk” with “breathe,” we arrive at the perfect breathing advice:

Breathe low, breathe slow, and don’t breathe too much.

Extra Thought: The “Dangers” of Breathwalking

I’ve become somewhat obsessed with breathwalking. I use it in short 1-3 min intervals several times a day. It’s phenomenal. Thanks again, Louise!

Last Tuesday, I was walking around my backyard, completely focused on my breath. Then, I came about this close 🤏 to stepping on a snake. The snake had its head up, ready to bite. And here I am, Mr. Breathwalker, completely oblivious…lol.

Luckily, I managed to jump over it (maybe letting out a quick scream) and immediately starting laughing at the irony of the situation.

Focusing on your breath most certainly improves your concentration. But in the comfort of your backyard, that concentration might backfire!

Related: Thanks to M.C. for sharing this excellent 4.5 min video:

Breathwalking With Dr. Jim Nicolai | Andrew Weil, M.D.

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1 Quote

“Few of these scientists set out to study breathing. But, somehow, in some way, breathing kept finding them.”

- James Nestor, Breath

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1 Answer

Answer: In 2018, it was estimated that this percentage of the U.S. adult population had diabetes.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is 13%? (and 90-95% of those cases are type-2)

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In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
Diabetes is Tiny. Breathing is Mighty.

P.S. Easter family get together

Can Breathing Improve Insulin Sensitivity? (+ 35 hours & 291 miles)

On Valentine’s Day, the CDC published a report documenting trends in diabetes incidence from 2002-2015. The take-home message: Rates of diabetes, both type-1 and type-2, are increasing in people less than 20 years old, especially in racial and ethnic minority populations.

Results like this make no-cost interventions more important than ever. (I will not get into the cost of diabetes here. But, I’m fortunate to have a job with great benefits, and I still feel the cost of diabetes daily.)

Which brings me to this week’s paper. It is a follow-on to the one I shared last week, which showed that relaxation breathing lowers blood sugar spikes.

Here, the same author published a review paper on breathing, glycemic response, and insulin sensitivity:

Review: Can yoga breathing exercises improve glycemic response and insulin sensitivity?

(Click Here to Read Full Summary)

Overall, this review concluded that slow breathing exercises can improve glycemic control and increase insulin sensitivity.

The glucose-lowering effect of slow breathing is likely due to reduced sympathetic activity and, subsequently, reduced glucose production by the liver.  That is, slow breathing reduces your body’s internal production of glucose.

The improved insulin sensitivity is likely related to reduced sympathetic output, but could also be due to improved tissue oxygenation.

These breathing techniques are so simple, yet they could be life-changing to diabetics.

If you feel inspired, please share the CDC study and this paper (or my summary of it) with someone you know with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

It’s a small, no-cost step in the right direction toward improving the lives of diabetics.

In good breath,
Nick

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P.S. 100 Mile Ruck Thank You!

Thank you all for the support during the 100-mile ruck! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I finished.

Overall, it took me 35 h 45 min to finish and I took approximately 225,000 steps to cover the 100 miles.

Including those who walked with me, we put in a combined 291 miles for chronic disease and raised ~$2K for HHPF! Simply amazing! THANK YOU!

Exercise and Hypoxia Increase Insulin Sensitivity (& 100 Mile Ruck Website)

There are many paradoxes in breathing. For example, breathing less air delivers more oxygen to your cells.

Here is another one. Many diabetic complications (for example, insulin resistance) are rooted in tissue hypoxia. Yet, the deliberate practice of intermittent hypoxia (IH) can improve insulin sensitivity, as shown by the study I’m sharing this week.

Acute hypoxia and exercise improve insulin sensitivity (Si2*) in individuals with type 2 diabetes

(Read the Full Summary)

This research examined four different protocols:

1. Rest at normal O2 levels for 60 min

2. Rest in hypoxia for 60 min

3. Exercise with normal O2 for 60 min

4. Exercise in hypoxia for 60 min

All participants were type 2 diabetics. Oxygen levels for the hypoxic group were maintained at ~14.6%, and the results showed that the participants’ SpO2 never fell below 88% (well within the therapeutic range).

Here were the main findings:

• Hypoxic rest increased insulin sensitivity more than rest at normal O2 levels

• Hypoxic exercise improved insulin sensitivity greater than exercise in normal O2 levels

Together, these results imply that exercise and hypoxia can be added together to improve insulin sensitivity.

However, before jumping in, we must remember that hypoxia does induce stress, and stress hormones increase the body’s production of glucose. Thus, the increased insulin sensitivity could just be the body’s preemptive response to the stress: It knows more sugar is coming, so it primes itself to use it.

We should keep this in mind as we practice intermittent hypoxia: It’s important to find our Goldilocks zone, where we’re experiencing hypoxia, but not inducing too much stress. I recommend starting slowly with walking breath holds. You get the benefits of exercise and hypoxia in a safe, easy-to-perform way.

Try adding 3-5 walking breath holds to your morning routine. They don’t have to be intense, just enough to feel it. And, make sure you can recover normal breathing within 3 breaths after the hold…this ensures you do not push too hard.

Give it a shot, and remember, consistency over intensity.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Here is the link to the 100 Mile Ruck fundraiser page:

https://www.hhp-foundation.org/donate

Please share the link with friends and family. And consider walking a mile or two with me virtually. Or, if you can, come out to Gleason Park in Indian Harbor Beach, FL between 8 AM - 10 PM on Feb. 29th to walk in person!