It’s Day 16 of the Mykidstime 21 Day Health & Fitness Challenge! If you missed yesterday’s video, catch up with Day 15 here.
Our health and wellbeing expert, Fiona O’Donnell, explains what’s involved for Day 16 in the video below. Let us know how you’re getting on with the Challenge by tagging us on social using #mkt21days — we’ll be cheering you on!
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Day 16 – Breathwork
Today’s move is all about breathing. It might not sound like exercise, but the evidence is clear: breathwork and meditation are some of the most effective tools we have for managing blood pressure and stress levels. That’s exactly why it earns its place in this Challenge.
There are several ways to practise and challenge your breathing. Today, Fiona takes you through three: the triangle breath, the box breath, and the 7-eleven breath. Try each one and see which feels most comfortable for you.
Watch Fiona demonstrate all three techniques in the video: https://youtu.be/cnBztPRsojg
Triangle breath
Get comfortable, and think about your breathing as you go. Breathe in, and imagine you’re travelling up one side of a triangle. As you exhale, imagine travelling down the other side. Pause naturally at the bottom — this is the base of the triangle. There’s no need to feel rushed here; we all have a natural pause at the end of an exhale anyway. From that corner, breathe in again to reach the peak, breathe out, and pause once more as the breath travels along the base.
Box breath
The box breath adds a pause on the inhale as well as the exhale. Start in the bottom corner of the box: breathe in, pause across the top, exhale down the side, pause across the bottom, then breathe in up the next side, and continue around.
7-eleven breath
Breathe in for a count of seven, then breathe out for a count of eleven. We tend to raise our shoulders on the in-breath and relax more on the out-breath, so the aim here is to extend the exhale and keep the inhale only as long as it needs to be — not rushed, since the goal is to lengthen the breath, not hyperventilate. If seven-eleven feels like a stretch, try five-nine or even three-seven instead. Whatever count feels comfortable is the right one for you. Give it a go — you really will notice a difference.
If you have any questions throughout the Challenge, [email Fiona](mailto:info@fionadonnell.ie?subject=MyKidsTime%2021%20Day%20Challenge) or send her a message on Instagram or Facebook. Use the hashtag #mkt21days to let us know how you’re getting on with the Challenge!
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FAQs
Do I need any equipment for breathwork?
No — all three techniques can be done anywhere, sitting or standing, with no equipment needed.
Which breathing technique should I start with?
There’s no right answer. Try the triangle breath, box breath and 7-eleven breath and stick with whichever feels most natural and comfortable for you.
What if I can’t manage the 7-eleven count?
That’s completely normal. Scale it back to a five-nine or three-seven count — the important thing is a longer exhale than inhale, not hitting a specific number.
How does breathwork help with stress?
Slow, controlled breathing is one of the most effective ways to calm the body’s stress response and support healthy blood pressure, which is why it’s included as part of this Challenge.
Related Articles
- Mykidstime 21 Day Health & Fitness Challenge – Day 15
- Expert Advice: Take 10 Minutes a Day to Be Your Best Self
- 10 Quick Ways for Busy Parents to Reclaim Some Me-Time
Keep Going With the Challenge
Enjoying the Challenge so far? Browse the rest of the Mykidstime 21 Day Health & Fitness Challenge series for more daily videos and tips, and save this page so you can come back to today’s breathing techniques whenever you need a reset.
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