Breathing Techniques With Taddy Blazusiak - Pro Secrets - Dirt Rider Magazine

There's no doubt many of you will scoff when you read this Pro Secret. "I've been breathing my entire life," you'll say, "and I don't need some Polish Hard Enduro racer to tell me how to do it when I ride!"Of course, breathing is something that comes quite naturally to most of us, but that doesn't mean you're doing it correctly when you're riding or racing off-road. Think about the last time you exited a particularly technical section: Were you methodically inhaling and exhaling like Michael Phelps before the 400m, or were your lungs gulping down air like Rosie O'Donnell after a two-minute stint on a treadmill? Either way, check out Taddy's advice on the subject. It's not just hot air!"Breathing is a very important part of racing! The best thing to do to keep your breathing perfect is to try to stay out of trouble on the track. That's the main advice. If you make mistakes, you will be tired and you will start breathing too fast, so you must be as smooth as you can."Some riders say that they'll hold their breath through a hard section, and then catch their breath when the section is over and they can rest. I don't believe in doing this. You must never quit breathing! Don't hold your breath at all, and always try to breathe through a section, even if it is technical. Big, deep breaths will keep you from getting too tired. You should almost be yawning!"If you find yourself holding your breath, remind yourself to stay loose. Trials riding has helped me to do this, because it has taught me to stay calmer. It's a sport with so much pressure on you in every section that you go into. You have pressure before the section, and then the pressure is off for a minute, then on again. You just have to stay loose and remember that deep breathing, staying calm and riding loose all go together. When you breathe better, you ride better!"