I read last week in 20min that the global wellness economy has crossed $6.8 trillion. The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute put out a 2026 report saying much the same thing: we’ve never spent more on feeling good, and we’ve rarely felt this tired and stressed. I find that very interesting and see explanation in what I have been focusing on.

The bit we all ignore

Here’s what I notice with almost everyone I work with. They can increase the squat weight and their deadlift numbers with pure will. Then I ask how they breathe during exercise, usually taking a big, sharp breath through the mouth to show me… and here there is a problem lurking.

Because breathing isn’t background noise. It’s the one system running 24/7, and most of us run it badly: fast, shallow, through the mouth, 16–20 times a minute at rest. That keeps your nervous system quietly braced all day. Fine for a sprint, rubbish for a Wednesday.

In breathing training, we look at how you breathe during rest, movement and sleep. The way you breathe at rest affects how you breathe during exercise and sleep…

What’s actually happening when you over-breathe

Let me give you the bit nobody mentions. When you over-breathe, you blow off carbon dioxide, which is the signal that tells your blood to actually hand oxygen over to your muscles and brain (that’s the Bohr effect). So you feel like you’re getting more air, while your tissues quietly get less.

Your tolerance to CO2 also sets how easily you drop into “rest and recover” mode, which is why how you breathe drives your stress and recovery, not just how much air you move in and out.

Why I start with a number

This is why I don’t start anyone with motivation, I start with a number. To measure you BOLT score takes about forty seconds and tells me where your CO2 tolerance actually sits. From there we train the boring, effective stuff: nasal breathing, slower rhythms, light breath-holds, the same levers the Oxygen Advantage method is built on.

Try this

Breathe in and out through your nose only for two minutes, with the exhale a touch longer than the inhale. If that feels like hard work, your BOLT score is probably low. That’s information, not failing. See if you feel relaxed and your shoulders drop by the end; most people’s do.

Where to start

If you’re curious where you stand, measure your BOLT score and read the full breakdown on the blog. You’ve already sorted the food and the training. This is the third pillar of health, and it’s the one you’re carrying everywhere anyway and you have nothing to spend.

Related reading

• Nasal Breathing for Better Performance | Science & Practical Drill
• CO2 Tolerance – Why Air Hunger is the Key to Better Breathing
• The BOLT Test: Measuring Your Breathing Efficiency