Quick Tip: Instant-Energy Breathing

You’re fatigued. Sapped out. Your eyes start to cross. Your head drops toward your chest … but you jerk it up just in time. Your fingers are numb, heavy, and unable to type another word. But it doesn’t matter. Your brain refuses to come up with words anyway.

When you need an instant energy boost, here’s a yoga breathing technique that reverses fatigue for 30 minutes or more by flooding your cells with oxygen and ridding your body of carbon dioxide.

1. Sit up straight and take 20 to 30 quick, panting breaths. Only your belly should move, not your chest.
2. Take a deep breath and hold for 30 seconds. This gives the blood in your lungs time to absorb as much oxygen as possible. Gradually work up to holding your breath for 60 seconds.
3. Exhale completely. Press your hand against your belly. This puts pressure on your lungs and forces out more of the used air.
4. After completing the exercise, walk briskly for 10 minutes, if possible. This pulls additional air into your lungs and cells and increases the circulation of oxygen-rich blood.