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TODAY'S STORY
A couple years ago, a trainer watched me do a set of heavy Romanian deadlifts and stopped me mid-rep.
“You’re not breathing,” he said.
“I’m clearly alive,” I replied.
“That’s not the same thing.”
He had a point.
I was doing what most people do — holding my breath under effort, exhaling in a fast, shallow burst at the top, then gasping through the next rep. My chest was doing all the work. My diaphragm was essentially on vacation.
At 30, your body tolerates this. At 65, poor breathing mechanics quietly undermines everything — your lifts, your posture, your back health, your nervous system, even your sleep. And unlike a bum knee or a cranky shoulder, it rarely announces itself with pain.
It just slowly steals your performance. Sneaky little thief.
THE MAIN MESSAGE
Here's the thing about breathing after 60: the mechanics tend to drift upward.
What that means is that instead of breathing from your belly — using your diaphragm like nature intended — most of us start breathing from the chest and neck. Shallow, fast, inefficient. The diaphragm goes quiet. The neck muscles pick up the slack. And your core stability quietly falls apart from the inside out.
Why this matters for people who move:
✔ Your diaphragm is part of your core. It creates intra-abdominal pressure that stabilizes your spine when you lift.
✔ Shallow chest breathing signals 'low-grade stress' to your nervous system — making it harder to recover after training.
✔ Poor breathing patterns cause the neck and upper traps to chronically tighten — which feeds into shoulder and upper-back stiffness.
✔ Holding your breath under load (Valsalva when you shouldn't) spikes blood pressure. Not ideal at 65.
✔ Bad breathing mechanics reduce oxygen efficiency — meaning your muscles fatigue faster.
Once I started re-learning how to breathe — and yes, that sounds ridiculous, but here we are — I noticed:
More core stability under load without adding weight
Less upper-back tension after workouts
A calmer nervous system between hard sessions
Better sleep (breathing affects sleep quality — full circle)
Breathing isn't optional equipment. It's the operating system everything else runs on.
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Stretch of the Week: Crocodile Breathing
Why: Retrains diaphragmatic breathing — the foundation of core stability and nervous system regulation.
How to do it:
Lie face-down on a mat, forehead resting on your hands
Relax your chest completely
Breathe in slowly through your nose — feel your belly push into the floor
Exhale slowly and fully — belly rises away from floor
5–8 slow breaths, working up to 10
Why it matters: When you're face-down, chest breathing becomes nearly impossible. The position forces the diaphragm to do its job. It also calms the nervous system — a two-for-one that no supplement can match.
Frequency tip: Do this before your workout, before bed, or anytime stress is running high. It takes 90 seconds and costs nothing.
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Strength Move of the Week: Pallof Press
Purpose: Builds anti-rotation core stability while reinforcing proper bracing and breathing under load.
How to do it:
Attach a resistance band to a door frame or anchor point at chest height
Stand sideways to the anchor, feet shoulder-width apart
Hold the band with both hands at your chest
Take a diaphragmatic breath in — feel your core pressurize
Press the band straight out in front of you (arms extended) — exhale slowly
Hold 2–3 seconds at full extension — the band will try to rotate you
Return hands to chest — that's one rep
8–10 reps each side, 2–3 sets
Key benefit: The Pallof Press is one of the most underrated core exercises on earth for people over 60. It trains your core to resist rotation — exactly what it needs to do when you walk, lift, carry groceries, or take a quick step to catch yourself from falling. It also teaches you to brace properly using breath, not just muscle tension.
Bonus: Zero spinal compression. Completely joint-friendly. No excuses.
Suggested Equipment: Resistance Band (Medium Tension)
Best for:
Pallof Press and anti-rotation work
Warm-up activation
Joint-friendly strength training on recovery days
Travel — fits in a carry-on, weighs nothing
Why this tool: A single medium-tension band can replace half your gym for mobility and functional strength work. For breathing and core work, it's perfect — provides just enough challenge without loading the spine.
Beginner tip: If the Pallof Press feels easy, you're standing too close to the anchor. Step one foot farther away.
THE TAKEAWAY
Breathing is the one thing your body does 20,000 times a day — and most of us do it wrong every single time. The good news: it's completely fixable, it costs nothing, and the payoff shows up fast.
Start on the floor. Face-down. Belly pressing into the mat. Breathe like you mean it.
Your core, your back, your nervous system, and your training all say thank you.
YOUR TURN
Has anyone ever told you that you breathe 'wrong'? Or have you noticed your breathing change under effort — holding it, going shallow, rushing it?
I want to hear about it. And if this topic sparked something, your response might shape our next issue.
Still moving forward,
— The SIM60 Team
simsixty.com · Educational content only. Not medical advice.
