Breathing exercise with airflow resistance methods

Abstract

Methods are disclosed in which a user performs breathing exercises with breathing apparatuses. The apparatus may include a member operatively arranged with an airflow resistance mechanism. The breathing apparatus may further include a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that may be configured to respond when the airflow or airflow rate is greater than a threshold airflow or threshold airflow rate, respectively. The breathing apparatus may be configured such that the airflow resistance mechanism is modifiable. The airflow resistance mechanism may provide a constant or variable airflow resistance during the performance of the exercise.

1 . A method for performing a breathing exercise with a breathing apparatus, the method comprising:
 positioning an open portion of a member, of the apparatus, to a nose of a user such that breathing by the user through the open portion results in anterior movement of a soft palate of the user to open space in an area of a throat of the user behind the soft palate to create a continuous air pathway from the nose to lungs of the user; and   performing by the user the breathing exercise via the continuous air pathway, with the apparatus, in which the user generates, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, a pressure within the open portion that produces an airflow against an airflow resistance determined by an airflow resistance mechanism to train muscles of the user.   
     
     
         2 . A method for performing a breathing exercise with a breathing apparatus, the method comprising:
 positioning an open portion of a member, of the apparatus, to a nose of a user such that breathing by the user through the open portion results in anterior movement of a soft palate of the user to open space in an area of a throat of the user behind the soft palate to create a continuous air pathway from the nose to lungs of the user; and   performing by the user the breathing exercise via the continuous air pathway, with the apparatus, in which the user generates, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, a pressure within the open portion that produces an airflow rate against an airflow resistance determined by an airflow resistance mechanism to train muscles of the user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the breathing apparatus until predefined criteria are met;
 responsive to the predefined criteria being met, positioning an open portion of a member, of another breathing apparatus, to a nose of a user such that breathing by the user through the open portion results in anterior movement of a soft palate of the user to open space in an area of a throat of the user behind the soft palate to create a continuous air pathway from the nose to lungs of the user; and   performing by the user the breathing exercise via the continuous air pathway, with the another breathing apparatus, in which the user generates, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, a pressure within the open portion that produces another airflow against another airflow resistance determined by another airflow resistance mechanism, of the another breathing apparatus, to train muscles of the user; and   repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the another breathing apparatus.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the breathing apparatus until predefined criteria are met;
 responsive to the predefined criteria being met, positioning an open portion of a member, of another breathing apparatus, to a nose of a user such that breathing by the user through the open portion results in anterior movement of a soft palate of the user to open space in an area of a throat of the user behind the soft palate to create a continuous air pathway from the nose to lungs of the user; and   performing by the user the breathing exercise via the continuous air pathway, with the another breathing apparatus, in which the user generates, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, a pressure within the open portion that produces another airflow rate against another airflow resistance determined by another airflow resistance mechanism, of the another breathing apparatus, to train muscles of the user; and   repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the another breathing apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the breathing apparatus is configured to permit modification of the another airflow resistance mechanism with adjustment of the another airflow resistance mechanism or substitution with a different another airflow resistance mechanism having different properties. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the breathing apparatus is configured to permit modification of the another airflow resistance mechanism with adjustment of the another airflow resistance mechanism or substitution with a different another airflow resistance mechanism having different properties. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the another breathing apparatus is configured to permit modification of the another airflow resistance mechanism with adjustment of the another airflow resistance mechanism or substitution with a different another airflow resistance mechanism having different properties. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the another breathing apparatus is configured to permit modification of the another airflow resistance mechanism with adjustment of the another airflow resistance mechanism or substitution with a different another airflow resistance mechanism having different properties. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the airflow resistance based on (i) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with the airflow resistance, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (ii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for the predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (iii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using a different breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for a different predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (iv) an ability of the user to activate head and neck muscles with a muscle strength or a muscle tension required to perform the breathing exercise using the breathing apparatus or the different breathing apparatus, or (v) the airflow resistance of the breathing apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising selecting the airflow resistance based on (i) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with the airflow resistance, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (ii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for the predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (iii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using a different breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for a different predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (iv) an ability of the user to activate head and neck muscles with a muscle strength or a muscle tension required to perform the breathing exercise using the breathing apparatus or the different breathing apparatus, or (v) the airflow resistance of the breathing apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising selecting the another airflow resistance based on (i) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with the airflow resistance, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (ii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for the predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (iii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the another breathing apparatus with the another airflow resistance, for another predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (ii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the another breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for the another predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (v) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using a different breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for a different predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (vi) an ability of the user to activate head and neck muscles with a muscle strength or a muscle tension required to perform the breathing exercise using the breathing apparatus, the another breathing apparatus, or the different breathing apparatus, or (vii) the another airflow resistance of the another breathing apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising selecting the another airflow resistance based on (i) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with the airflow resistance, for a predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (ii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for the predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (iii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the another breathing apparatus with the another airflow resistance, for another predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (ii) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using the another breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for the another predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (v) an ability of the user to perform the breathing exercise, using a different breathing apparatus with a different airflow resistance, for a different predetermined number of repetitions or duration of time, (vi) an ability of the user to activate head and neck muscles with a muscle strength or a muscle tension required to perform the breathing exercise using the breathing apparatus, the another breathing apparatus, or the different breathing apparatus, or (vii) the another airflow resistance of the another breathing apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing the breathing exercise, with the breathing apparatus, repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the breathing apparatus until predefined criteria are met; and responsive to the predefined criteria being met, modifying the airflow resistance. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising performing the breathing exercise, with the breathing apparatus, repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the breathing apparatus until predefined criteria are met; and responsive to the predefined criteria being met, modifying the airflow resistance. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising performing the breathing exercise, with the another breathing apparatus, repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the another breathing apparatus until the another predefined criteria are met; and responsive to the another predefined criteria being met, modifying the another airflow resistance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising performing the breathing exercise, with the another breathing apparatus, repeating the performing by the user the breathing exercise with the another breathing apparatus until the another predefined criteria are met; and responsive to the another predefined criteria being met, modifying the another airflow resistance. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the airflow is greater than a threshold airflow. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the airflow is greater than a threshold airflow. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the another breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the another breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the another airflow is greater than another threshold airflow. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the another breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the another breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the another airflow is greater than another threshold airflow. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the airflow rate is greater than a threshold airflow rate. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the airflow rate is greater than a threshold airflow rate. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the another breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the another breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the another airflow rate is greater than another threshold airflow rate. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the another breathing apparatus includes a chromogenic material, membrane, visual signal, airflow meter, acoustic device, or moveable element that defines a feedback mechanism that is operatively arranged within the another breathing apparatus and configured to respond when the another airflow rate is greater than another threshold airflow rate. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow resistance is variable during performance of the head and neck exercise. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the airflow resistance is variable during performance of the head and neck exercise. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the another airflow resistance is variable during performance of the breathing exercise. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the another airflow resistance is variable during performance of the breathing exercise. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the breathing apparatus and the another breathing apparatus define a combined housing. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the breathing apparatus and the another breathing apparatus define a combined housing.