Breathing Exercises of Alexandra Strelnikova
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http://strelnikova.freehostia.com/
Basic
idea:
Any
degree
of Asthma causes problems with physical
exercises, as
they can cause
attack.
At the other hand, absence
of
exercises aggravate asthma as frequency of
respiratory
infections
increases. Solution of this paradox - exercise that
specifically
develops muscles and blood vessels associated with
respiratory
apparatus (as well as cardiac), but (!) does
not cause and in fact can stop
an ongoing attack as it prevents hyperventilation
by applying
stress on the lungs during breath in and using increased air
resistance
due to strictly nasal fast breath in or "sniff". Clinical
trials show
that regular practicing of exercise reduces
frequency of attacks,
and can completely
eliminate
chronic infection caused asthma. It also benefits
allergy caused
asthma by strengthening breathing apparatus as well as
through keeping
the nose clean and developing strong habit of nasal
breathing, that
reduces exposure to allergens 3 times. Exercise is very easy
to learn,
and is therefore specifically
helpful
for children.
Personal
experience?
I had great results with this gymnastic solving
my 4 years old daughters respiratory problems including
chronic cough,
wheezing, night attacks of shortness of breath needing a
bronchodilator
(doctor identified possible asthma and prescribed 6 month of
steroid
treatment!).
Since we started exercising once a day (I am doing it too)
there was
none
of the above symptoms for already 6 month and counting (thanks
God).
Having
this amazing results without any medications(having
well
known side effects) I felt compelled to translate the
self-learning guide to
English, as
everybody can easily learn it from
simple description
as I did and start using it right away with assured positive
effect.
For visual learners, here is a link to a video that I and my
daughter
prepared, to make learning even easier:
History:
This breathing exercise have
been developed by Alexandra Severovna Strelnikova,
and further developed by her daughter Alexandra Nikolaevna Strelnikova
and their follower Michail Shetinin.
Original application was for restoring of the voice for
singers but
later
it has been shown that method is effective for treatment and
prophylactic
of wide range of respiratory illnesses, in particular asthma,
tuberculosis
and chronic bronchitis. Main idea of the exercises is to exert
a strong
nasal breath-in (sniff) while compressing the lungs by a
simultaneous
straining
of different muscles (see here for more
basic
concepts ).
Self-learning
guide:
Description of all 12 exercises
sufficient for self-learning is here.
Other resources:
- To ask people practicing this exercise
questions
related to self-learning,
to share your experiences how to do things better, what not
to do, or
to
discuss merits of the exercise, join the
yahoo discussion group Strelnikova
Breathing
Exercise Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strelnikova_exercise
- Detailed description of the method in Russian, given by Michail Schetinin can be found here:
http://moldovacc.md/vasangela/Breathing.htm
- Results of clinical trials, publications and other information is here (Russian):
short summary in English is here.
- The only description of the method and its
application
in English I found hear http://www.strelnikova.i8.com
Description of first 3 exercises is given here, but I am not a fan of the translation quality:
http://www.strelnikova.i8.com/TryIt.htm
- Interesting article about this gymnastics (in New Zealand Fitness Magazine) is here.
Here is the general idea that applies to each of 12 exercises:
- Do strong (audible) sniffs with nose only as you make (finish) a movement, and don't worry about the breathing out, it should come naturally. Sniff should be not prolonged or deep, but short and strong so that somebody could hear it from other side of the room.
- Each exercise is done in first in portions of 4 sniffs, then short pause, then again. When this is easy go to 8 sniffs and then 16 and 32 without break. I find it comfortable to do 16 sniffs (but that is adapted for little kid, for adult 32 might be easy to). Totally make for each exercise 3 times 32 sniffs (but if you have no time, even 1 time 32 will already help, if it is done with all 12 exercises).
- Chose a pace of exercise that is comfortable for you, but I dim the faster the better as long as it does not cause discomfort. Strelnikova recommended pace like soldiers marching.
- To stop and ongoing or starting asthma attack, start doing exercise 3, while sitting on a bed and continue in 4 sniff portions until feeling better. It can also be interchanging with "hugging" exercise (5). While making short strong sniffs, you should have a feeling of sending the air into your lower-back.
- While learning, first start with 3 exercises, and every day add one more until you are doing all 12.
- You are supposed to make 1 set of 12 exercises (32x3 sniffs each) once every day for general prophylactic against respiratory illnesses and in case of very mild asthma.
- In case of moderate to severe asthma (this applies also to other severe respiratory conditions) or if you feel approaching attack even with mild asthma you need to make 2 sets of 12 exercises (e.g. whole set twice a day, for example in the morning and in the evening).
- Significant improvement with moderate or severe asthma is typically observed after 2 month of exercises twice a day, but with mild asthma improvement can be observed much earlier. There is also an immediate effect of improved feeling of well-being and freshness after each exercise, similar to that after a good cup of tee.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me, though I am not an expert but it looks like you don't need to be one to have good effect from this exercise.
Short
description
of all exercises, sufficient for self-learning
Below is short descriptions
of all
twelve exercises,
described after M. Shetinin's
descriptions
and a bit of own experience.
Thanks http://saga.km.ru/str/ for sketch images.
(1)
Stand straight, bend hands with elbows down, showing your palms forwards towards an imaginary viewer in front of you. Make short loud sniffs while strongly and forcefully "grabbing" air with your fingers, forming a fist. When making a break between each 4 (or 8 or 16 sniffs, depending on your preference) lower and relax your hands.
(2)
Shake
off hands:
Stand straight, place hands on the level of your belt, fingers are pressed in a fist. Make a short strong sniff, while pushing your fist down and backwards, as if shaking something off your hands. Return hands to the belt level and repeat.
(3)
Stand straight with feet a
bit
wider then shoulders.
Lean slightly forwards as you hands push down as if pressing a
ball on
the floor.
(4)
Cat:
Stand straight, feet on shoulder width. Make dance-like sitting down with simultaneous turn of upper-body and hands to the right as if catching something. At the end of movement, when you catch - sniff. Repeat same to the left.
(5)
Hug
the shoulders:
Stand straight with hands up on the level of your shoulders and bent so that they make together a square. Move strongly both hands towards each other until they make together a triangle - at the end of the movement sniff. At the moment of movement head can swingh slightly backwards.
(6)
Hug
and push:
Stand straight with feet a
bit
wider then shoulders.
Lean slightly forwards as you hands push down as if pressing a
ball on
the floor.
(7)
Head
turns:
Stand straight, feet on shoulder width. Turn head left - sniff at the end of movement, then right - sniff and the end of movement. Don't stop in the middle, only at the right and left end of the turn. Only head turns, body is not moving.
(8)Touch
shoulders
with
ears (I call it "surprised dog")
Stand straight, feet slightly narrower then shoulder width. Lean the head right so that ear almost touches the shoulder. Sniff at the end of movement. Repeat to the left.
(9)
Up
and downs
Stand straight, feet slightly narrower then shoulder width. Lean head forwards (facing floor) - sniff. Lean head backwards (facing ceiling) - sniff. Note that in all exercises sniff does not come after the movement, but simultaneously with last phase of the movement and finishing together with the movement as if caused by the movement.
(10)
Rolling
Stand so that left foot is
forwards and straight,
right foot is backwards and bent (as if in rapire
fighting position).
Now slightly sit down on left foot, bending it as if dancing. Simultaneously with end of the movement make sniff. Now move weight on the right foot (which is place backwards) and slightly sit on it, bending it more and making sniff at the end of movement. Repeat both movement while counting sniffs.
(11) Up-kicks:
(see left image)
Stand straight, feet slightly
narrower then shoulder
width.
From the knee down the foot is straight, pull the toe forward as in ballet. In the same time slightly sit down on the right foot and make strong short audible sniff. Get both feet completely straight for a moment. Repeat same with right foot up so that knee reaches abdomen, while sitting down slightly on left knee and sniffing. Upper body remains straight.
(12)
Back-kicks:
(see right image above)
Stand straight, feet slightly
narrower then shoulder
width. Move left foot, bend in
the
knee,
backwards as if kicking yourself on the bottom with the sole.
Simultaneously
slightly sit-down on the right foot and make a short strong
sniff. Get
both feet completely straight for a moment, than repeat same
with
opposite
foot.
Short
summary of one of the clinical trials in childrens
hospital (Russian):
http://www.strelnikova.ru/res4.phtml
Short summary of test and results:
- participated 70 children, most with middle degree and 5 with
severe asthma
- 7 children were treated in clinical setting and 62 received
6 lessons once a week with 1.5 hr duration and otherwise were
exercising at home. Observations were performed during 2 month.
- 12 did not finish the course
- Results were evaluated by spirometry and symptoms dynamic
- After the end of test 58 children exhibited reduced number of attacks,
reduction of cough and improved nasal breathing
- No cases of atack induced by exercise observed.
- Spirometric data: for 50 children has been observed positive dynamic
- Average in the after-attack period before the treatment
FVC 89
FEV1 81
After treatment
FVC 100
FEV1 95
- Average in the non-agravation period before treatment
FVC 101
FEV1 99
After treatment
FVC 110
FEV1 014
Specialysignifican
increase is observed in
reduction of obstruction in large bronchs.
- Overal evaluation: positive result, method is recomended for use as part
of complex treatment of children with bronchial asthma.
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