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Summary
This episode explores the critical role of breathing in health, recovery, and performance, featuring Steven Zwerink, a breathing physiologist. Discover how dysfunctional breathing impacts the body, the importance of CO2 over oxygen, and practical techniques for physiotherapists to incorporate breathing exercises into their practice.
Guest
Steven is a breathing physiologist and the founder of the Dutch Institute for Breathing Physiology. His work focuses on how breathing influences health, recovery, and performance.
His interest in breathing started after a serious cycling accident, where he experienced a long and difficult recovery with symptoms like a concussion and whiplash. Traditional approaches only got him so far, but when he started working with breathing, things began to change. That experience became the foundation of his work today.
With a background in elite sports and extensive training in different breathing methods, Steven now works with physiotherapists, healthcare professionals, and athletes. His goal is to make breathing practical, evidence-informed, and clinically applicable.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to breathing in physiotherapy
00:01:17 Steven Zwerink's accident and recovery journey
00:07:57 Sponsor: Physiotutors membership and learning platform
00:09:04 Dysfunctional breathing, CO2, and nasal vs mouth breathing
00:16:38 Why nasal breathing can feel difficult
00:20:26 Early-life habits, jaw development, and airway problems
00:24:38 Sponsor: Physiotutors courses
00:25:39 Why breathing matters in everyday physio practice
00:31:45 How to assess when breathing is part of the problem
00:36:05 Three practical breathing techniques for therapists
00:42:26 Box breathing dosage and workplace applications
00:46:23 Advanced breath control and prolonged exhale training
00:50:55 Coherent breathing and nervous system regulation
00:50:54 Sponsor: WriteUp practice management software
00:52:30 When breathing is complementary vs primary treatment
00:56:46 Sleep-disordered breathing, recovery, and injury risk
00:59:14 Clinical case: post-COVID recovery with breathing work
01:01:34 Mistakes to avoid when adding breathwork to physio
01:04:20 Key myth, nervous system regulation, and therapist takeaways
01:06:13 Diaphragm, psoas, and overlooked physical links
01:08:11 Where to find Steven and final outro
Bonus Material
Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.
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