more power to your lungs
Breathing seems so natural – in fact most of the time we don’t even think about it. This changes, however, as soon as we apply some effort in our cycling and get out of breath. Normal training does get you fitter and traditional cardio-vascular training will improve lung capacity but a new product has been introduced designed specifically to ‘train’ your lungs.
Called PowerLung, the device, which looks a little like a pocket-sized pump, starts with the premise that the breathing is something that we can and should learn to improve. Proper breathing affects your stamina and therefore your ability to both enjoy riding and achieve your targets on a bike. While performing any physical activity, the amount of air going through your lungs can increase by over twenty-times normal levels. As your lung muscles tire, they ‘steal’ blood from other muscles to supplement their work resulting in the winded feeling that we all know, and premature tiredness.
Training your lungs twice a day with PowerLung – which is described by the manufacturers as a lung muscle trainer – will maximize breathing performance and has been designed to improve the muscles involved in both inhalation and exhalation. Two version are available: PowerLung Trainer for the recreational athlete or those planning a fitness routine; and PowerLung Sport which gives a more serious workout and starts at a higher level of resistance.
Using the PowerLung involves taking 30 breaths twice a day – about 4 minutes per session – and the effects are claimed to be noticeable within a few days. As PowerLung is not cycling specific it can therefore be promoted in the ship to just about any customer – even the non-cyclists who are perhaps accompanying friends in your shop.
As there are two levels of device it can also be used at any level of fitness, from the unfit right through to those who compete regularly. All are claimed to be able to benefit.
