Stretching and Breathing

Having proper breathing while stretching is important because it allows the muscles the amount of oxygen needed to fully circulate to the muscles and get a deeper stretch. Breathing and stretching routines, like yoga, can be beneficial to both how the stretch affects you as well as how you breathe during a game.
 

Focusing on breathing during stretch will not only help the circulation to your muscles, it also gets you focused on the right type of breathing for a game/practice. Making sure that you are breathing properly during play is important since the amount of oxygen you take in affects your energy level and endurance. How to breathe properly when stretching:

• Lean into your stretch
• As you lean, Exhale
• Once you reach your full extension, keep breathing in and out deeply
• Take a deep breath
• Exhale out of the stretch

When stretching, you should always be aware of how you are breathing. Breathing properly through the stretching exercises will help with your flexibility, circulation, and condition you for proper game-play breathing.