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Fitness & Exercise Performance

Where every inhale and exhale becomes a pathway to optimal performance, health and vitality

Ed Harrold believes that true fitness extends far beyond physical strength alone. It's about harmonizing the mind, body, and breath to achieve a state of holistic well-being. With a philosophy deeply rooted in the power of breath, Ed seamlessly integrates breath techniques with traditional fitness & athletic training modalities, unlocking the body's full potential while cultivating mindfulness and inner balance. Whether you're a seasoned athlete, personal trainer, coach or a novice enthusiast, Ed's guidance empowers you to tap into the innate intelligence of your breath, enhancing performance, reducing stress, and fostering a deeper connection to your body.

Nasal Dominance

Unlock Your FULL Potential

If you haven't disciplined yourself to nasal breathe during the most intense portions of your training and racing, you have yet to reach your potential.  In all my years of training and racing, we are only NOW starting to understand and embrace the profound effects of nasal breathing in exercise performance. 

 

Nasal breathing isn't just a fundamental physiological process; it's also the optimal strategy for unlocking your full potential in every aspect of exercise & fitness training. Whether you're engaging in endurance activities, steady-state training, or speed-based workouts, nasal breathing offers unparalleled benefits. By breathing through the nose, you enhance oxygen uptake, improve lung function, build CO2 tolerance, and optimize the delivery of oxygen to working muscles, leading to increased stamina, reduced fatigue, and enhanced endurance.  I'm preparing you for the future as an athlete who combines having a big motor and getting great gas mileage. 

 

Beyond its application in specific training paradigms, nasal dominance is the perfect strategy for fitness enthusiasts of all levels, regardless of their exercise routine. Whether you're hitting the gym, practicing yoga, or enjoying outdoor activities, nasal breathing enhances performance, promotes recovery, and contributes to overall health and vitality.

Diaphragm Muscle

Your Powerhouse Muscle

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Ed Harrold advocates for a paradigm shift that centers around the often overlooked powerhouse of the body: the diaphragm. Despite being the primary muscle responsible for breathing, the diaphragm remains vastly underutilized in conventional fitness approaches. However, Ed emphasizes that harnessing the full potential of this muscle is essential for optimizing athletic performance. A strong diaphragm not only enhances respiratory function but also serves as a stabilizer for the core, contributing to improved posture, balance, and overall strength. Through nasal breathing, which engages the diaphragm fully, individuals can train this muscle effectively, unlocking a myriad of benefits. From enhanced oxygenation and endurance to increased energy efficiency and reduced risk of injury, a strong diaphragm lays the foundation for peak athletic performance. Join Ed Harrold in redefining fitness training by prioritizing the development of this vital muscle and experiencing the transformative impact it can have on your athletic endeavors.

The Lungs

Train Respiratory FIRST

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Ed's approach begins with the foundation of training the respiratory system FIRST allowing this to be the driver of cardiovascular and neuroskeletal muscular conditioning. At the core of his philosophy lies the recognition that optimal performance stems from a balanced and efficient respiratory system. By prioritizing nasal dominance and understanding lung physiology, Ed empowers individuals to maximize their potential while maintaining harmony with the autonomic nervous system. Through nasal breathing, he teaches how to tap into the body's innate ability to regulate stress responses, promote relaxation, and enhance endurance. Furthermore, Ed emphasizes the importance of utilizing fat as the primary source of fuel, a key aspect in achieving sustained energy levels and metabolic efficiency. By integrating these principles into training regimens, individuals can cultivate a balanced approach to fitness that fosters peak performance, resilience, and overall well-being.

Research

  1. Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Oxidative Stress

  2. Effect of Nasal Versus Oral Breathing on Vo2max and Physiological Economy in Recreational Runners Following an Extended Period Spent Using Nasally Restricted Breathing

  3. The hyperpnoea of exercise in health: Respiratory influences on neurovascular control

  4. The effects of nasal breathing on exercise tolerance

  5. Influence of the breathing pattern on the pulmonary function of endurance-trained athletes

  6. Endurance exercise performance: the physiology of champions

  7. Oral vs. nasal breathing during submaximal aerobic exercise

  8. Bhastrika Breathing & Athletic Performance

  9. Nasal Dysfunction In Exercise

  10. Nasal Obstruction, The Airway, The Athlete

  11. Inspiratory Muscle Training 

  12. Inspiratory Muscle Training II

  13. Inspiratory Muscle Training III

  14. Nasal breathing & exercise tolerance

  15. The diaphragm muscle & influence on respiration

  16. Nasal Breathing & Systolic Blood Pressure

  17. Aerobic Exercise & Performance

  18. Breathing & Physiotherapy

  19. Breathing & Spinal Stability

  20. BREATHING PATTERN DISORDERS AND FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT

  21. Effect of Breathing Rate on Oxygen Saturation and Exercise Performance in Chronic Heart Failure

  22. Triathlete Adapts to Breathing Restricted to the Nasal Passage Without loss in VO2max or vVO2max

  23. The Effect of Nasal Breathing Versus Oral and Oronasal Breathing During Exercise: A Review

  24. Can Yoga Breathing / Pranayama Concepts Be Reasonably Extended to Conventional Endurance Training?

  25. Walking With Controlled Breathing Improves Exercise Tolerance

  26. A framework of transient hypercapnia to achieve an increased cerebral blood flow induced by nasal breathing during aerobic exercise

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