Breathing is something we do without thinking, but did you know that conscious breathing exercises can significantly improve your health and wellbeing? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore effective breathing techniques and how the PhiliaHealth Spot Check feature can help you optimise your practice.

The Power of Conscious Breathing

Controlled breathing exercises offer heaps of benefits:

• Reduced stress and anxiety

• Improved focus and concentration

• Better sleep quality

• Enhanced cardiovascular health

• Increased energy levels

By chucking these exercises into your daily routine, you can experience a noticeable improvement in your overall health and quality of life.

Essential Breathing Exercises

1. Box Breathing

Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is a simple yet powerful technique:

1. Inhale for 4 seconds

2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds

3. Exhale for 4 seconds

4. Hold your breath for 4 seconds

5. Repeat the cycle

This exercise is bonza for reducing stress and improving focus.

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, helps strengthen your diaphragm and promote relaxation:

1. Lie down or sit comfortably

2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly

3. Breathe in slowly through your nose, feeling your belly rise

4. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, feeling your belly lower

5. Repeat for 5-10 minutes

3. Alternate Nostril Breathing

This technique, common in yoga practices, can help balance your mind and body:

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight

2. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril

3. Inhale deeply through your left nostril

4. Close your left nostril with your ring finger, release your right nostril

5. Exhale through your right nostril

6. Inhale through your right nostril

7. Close your right nostril, release your left nostril

8. Exhale through your left nostril

9. Repeat for 5-10 cyclesHow the Spot Check Feature Works

Ths Spot Check Feature

The Spot Check feature uses biofeedback to measure your body’s response during breathing exercises. It helps you see what works best for calming your body and reducing stress. Everyone is different, and trial and error can reveal the most effective techniques for you.

Spot Check gives you real-time feedback, making it an essential tool to get the most out of your wearable device. It’s perfect for short, focused breathing sessions that bring your body back into a rest-and-digest state.

How to Get Started

Check the screenshots of the app out to show you how to use the Spot Check feature. We’re also working on updates to include guided breathing exercises to make it even easier. While the meditation feature is ideal for longer sessions, Spot Check is great for quick stress management throughout the day.

Below are the UIs for Android.

For iOS, the user interface has a few differences,

The PPG (Photoplethysmogram) trace is displayed. The R-R intervals are a technical term for the time in between heartbeats. These are nice for the nerd in us, but we're working on replacing it with an animation to guide breathing. But let us know what you think.

But the "how to use" is the same:

1. Select record and then spot check

2. Practise your deep breathing exercise for 3 min. Make sure that the strap is tight enough to give at least a yellow or green signal quality. Make the strap tighter if signal quality is red - otherwise you will see a message saying "Not enough data". Use the timer to time your breathing.

3. When the 3 minutes are up, I recommend reviewing your HRV and resting heart rate (circled in green in the third screenshot), as health providers can understand these.

4. View your statistics in the timeline bar. We want to work with you to figure out how to best display this data to see your progress.

Known Bug (iOS PhiliaHealth app)

We are aware of this bug - Insufficient data - and are dealing with it. We appreciate how frustrating it can be, and will keep you guys informed once it's resolved. Android does not seem to have issues as far as we know.

Tips for Success

We are going to implement animations in the spot check, but we're going to co-design this with our early customers. But until then, you can still make use of these tips:

• Start with short, simple exercises and gradually build up.

• Use visuals, timers, or prompts (we’re adding these soon!).

• Practise in a calm environment, like before bed, to familiarise yourself with the techniques.

• Use Spot Check during the day to track your stress and calm down when needed.

Share Your Feedback

We’d love to hear how you’re using the Spot Check feature and how we can make it better. Message us anytime at [email protected].