Tactical Breathing

4 Count Breathing

One of the most common breathing techniques for calming yourself down is Four Count Breathing, also referred to as Combat Breathing. Four Count breathing requires you to consciously regulate the amount of airflow your body is receiving over four second intervals. While it can be a difficult technique to master under extreme stress, the principle of the breathing is simple. Breathing is as follows:

1. Slowly inhale a deep breath over 4 seconds.
2. Hold the breath in for 4 seconds.
3. Slowly exhale the breath out over 4 seconds.
4. Hold the empty breath for 4 seconds.
5. Repeat until your breathing is under control.

Use Four Count Breathing when you need to quickly get control of your breathing. It will take focus and control to maintain this rhythm. This technique may need to be used to silence any heavy and labored breathing that you may have developed from a long run carrying lots of gear. You may discover that an enemy is nearby and do not want to announce your presence or give away your position with the sounds of labored breathing.