Overview
Advanced Adaptive Contrast training sessions create sympathetic stress on your body. Mild sessions like First Time, and Whole Body Flush are designed not to cause sympathetic stress.
This stress results from exertion under hypoxic conditions. The stress causes most people to naturally enter a sympathetic state relating to fight-or-flight.
A sympathetic response is a natural result of exercise because it sets the body up to enter the parasympathetic, rest and recover, mode. a
This protocol is designed to transition from the body from sympathetic to parasympathetic mode. Most people will naturally transition to parasympathetic in 20-60 minutes. This breath-work expedites this transition to near immediate.
Video Tutor
Steps
At the end of your cool down come to a complete stop leave the mask on, and switch in the +O2 position. Make sure that you have enough oxygen in the reservoir to complete the breathing exercises around 10% is generally enough. The breathing exercises are best done while seated either on the exercise bike, a chair, or the floor. Some people feel lightheaded during the breath-work and seating helps to lower the likelihood of injury in the rare case you become dizzy.
All of the breathing during this session will be in through the nose and out through the nose.
Take 25 breaths, on the inhalation take the longest, softest, and fullest breath you can.
On the exhalation make it the slowest and softest exhale possible. Imagine you are breathing so softly that your nose hairs don’t move at all.
Your heart rate will start to fall, allowing your inhales and exhales to become longer with each breath.
You may feel tingling in the crown of your head and fingertips this is perfectly normal.
Making the mental connection between the act of breathing and the intention of why you’re doing this is important. Focus on sending the oxygen to the parts of your body where you know you need it the most.
Visualize healing oxygen entering into your lungs, then into your blood, then being released to your cells. Delivering the oxygen that allows your cells to heal and have optimal energy to do their jobs.
On the 25th breath fully exhale all of the air out of your lungs and hold your breath for as long as you can. When you can no longer hold, breathe fully in and hold your breath for 15 seconds and then release.
Take two normal breaths and then you can remove your mask. Great job you are done. Best times to do this protocol is after an advanced protocol.