Workouts can often get intense, and recovery is a crucial aspect of it. Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman had previously spoken about various science-supported tools meant to enhance one’s training. In a recently resurfaced clip that he posted, Huberman highlighted one of the respiratory tools used in between sets, for recovery.
While resting after workouts was a common approach to recovering from muscle strain, he explained the importance of doing so during the training session. For this, he recommended performing a physiological sigh that helps stabilize one’s heart rate between sets.
This technique involves breathing in as much air as possible through the nose and then breathing some more to ensure maximum inflation of the lungs. Once the individual feels full, they can completely exhale through the mouth, ensuring almost all the air is out. This technique can be incorporated during resistance training or high-intensity interval training.
Dr. Huberman explained that the physiological sigh helped shift the nervous system from a state of high alertness to increased calm. During training, this benefits the individual’s heart rate and energy levels, leading to a more optimized workout.
“One way to do this that’s very convenient and very effective, is to consider the last repetition of your set, a physiological sigh…”
This phenomenon meant that when the individual is going to fail or fails on their last repetition, Dr. Huberman recommended following it up with a physiological sigh. Alternatively, he also interpreted it as beginning one’s rest between sets with a physiological sigh.
“Whether or not it’s 30 seconds…or it’s a five minute period of rest between sets. If you do one… physiological sigh at the beginning of the rest period, you are going to effectively shift your nervous system in the direction you want it to go…”
Apart from respiratory tools, Dr. Huberman had several other solutions to improve a standard workout. The idea was to make the most out of it, and to do so, he suggested multiple other science-backed advice that one can easily incorporate into their daily gym routine.
Dr. Andrew Huberman revealed “exercise snacks” as the stepping stones to better results
Instead of some diet-based solution, exercise snacks are simply short activities that fill in the gaps between larger workouts. For those who do not have the time to commit to an entire session, “snacks” like these should help increase endurance.
Dr. Huberman talked about these exercise snacks in the same podcast and revealed how his colleague, Dr. Andy Galpin, taught him this trick. The key was to perform fast-paced exercises that increase heart rate within minutes. Such exercises are beneficial since they get the individual moving, their heart pumping, and strengthen the muscles.
