Improve Breathing

Proof required

Submit your M1 breathing baseline: (1) resting breath rate — two measurements taken 10 minutes apart and their average (breaths per minute); (2) BOLT score — timed from natural exhale to first involuntary urge to breathe, in seconds. Note the conditions: whether you were sitting or lying, time of day, and whether you had been active within the previous hour.

What gets checked

• Resting breath rate is the average of two measurements, not a single count — breathing rate varies within a session; two measurements 10 minutes apart reduce the variability
• The BOLT score is timed to the first involuntary urge to breathe, not to the limit of willpower — willpower-based breath holds are not repeatable or meaningful as a breathing efficiency measure; the BOLT specifically measures the first comfortable urge point
• Neither measurement is taken within an hour of exercise — acute exercise significantly reduces resting breath rate reliability and inflates the BOLT score; both must be taken in a rested state

Common mistakes

• Watching or counting breaths during the resting breath rate measurement — self-observation causes involuntary changes in breathing rate; set a timer and count unobtrusively or have someone else count
• Pushing the BOLT score to the maximum breath-hold duration — this converts the BOLT into a willpower test, which is not what the metric measures and which is not repeatable; the first involuntary urge is the correct stopping point
• Measuring resting breath rate immediately after getting up or after any mild physical activity — even light movement elevates the respiratory rate; the measurement requires sitting or lying quietly for at least 3 minutes beforehand

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Both metrics must be present in M1. Resting breath rate alone or BOLT score alone is an incomplete breathing baseline — ask for both
• The resting breath rate should be the average of two measurements, not a single reading. If only one count is given, ask whether the person measured twice
• The BOLT score notes should confirm it was taken to the first involuntary urge, not to maximum hold. If the person records a very high BOLT score (above 40 seconds) without prior training, ask whether they held to the urge or to their limit

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Proof required

Submit (1) daily practice log for all 8 weeks showing diaphragmatic breathing practice (yes/no per day) and reduced-volume practice (yes/no per day); (2) weekly BOLT score retests at Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, measured using the same protocol as M1; (3) a brief note at each 4-week point on what changed in how breathing feels day-to-day.

What gets checked

• Both diaphragmatic and reduced-volume practices are logged daily — the two practices address different aspects of breathing function; skipping one produces partial improvement only
• Weekly BOLT score retests at Weeks 2/4/6/8 use the same protocol as M1 — same rested state, same first-urge stopping point; a change in protocol makes the trend meaningless
• The daily log covers all 8 weeks including days when practice was missed — a complete log that shows some missed days is far more credible than a perfect-looking log, and improvement happens even without 100% adherence

Common mistakes

• Doing only the diaphragmatic practice and skipping the reduced-volume practice — the BOLT score specifically measures breathing volume efficiency; diaphragmatic breathing improves the pattern but reduced-volume practice is the key driver of BOLT improvement
• Forcing the breathing pattern consciously all day rather than practising in dedicated daily sessions — constant forced breathing awareness is unsustainable and often counterproductive; the 5–10 minute daily practice period is the intervention; general breathing awareness develops naturally over weeks without forcing it
• Retesting the BOLT score after exercise or when tired — the BOLT is only valid when measured in a rested state; post-exercise BOLT scores are not comparable to the rested M1 baseline

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The daily log should show both practices logged separately. If only one practice is logged throughout, ask whether the other was done informally or not at all
• The BOLT score retests at Weeks 2/4/6/8 should all use the same rested-state first-urge protocol as M1. If scores fluctuate dramatically week to week (more than 10 seconds), ask about the testing conditions — it may indicate inconsistent protocol
• The qualitative notes at Weeks 4 and 8 should describe something specific about how breathing feels — 'less breathless on stairs' or 'falling asleep faster' are meaningful observations; 'it's better' is not specific enough

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Proof required

Submit (1) M3 resting breath rate (two measurements and their average) and M3 BOLT score (same protocol as M1); (2) a side-by-side comparison table of M1 and M3 for both metrics; (3) an attestation from a named person who observed the 8-week breathing practice.

What gets checked

• Both M3 metrics use exactly the same protocol as M1 — same rested state, same two-measurement average for breath rate, same first-urge BOLT protocol
• The comparison table shows both metrics at M1 and M3 — a comparison of only the BOLT score without the breath rate (or vice versa) is an incomplete outcome
• The attestation describes observed practice behaviour, not just the final results — 'they did the breathing exercises every evening before bed for the last 2 months' is observation; 'they said their breathing improved' is not

Common mistakes

• Measuring M3 BOLT score after a particularly good night's sleep or at a time when the person feels unusually calm — exceptionally calm states can inflate the BOLT by 5–10 seconds; the M3 should be measured under the same typical-day conditions as M1
• Providing only a single resting breath rate measurement at M3 rather than the two-measurement average — the M1 baseline used two measurements; M3 must use the same method for the comparison to be valid
• Reporting the M3 BOLT as a willpower breath-hold rather than the first-urge point — after 8 weeks of training, it becomes tempting to hold longer to demonstrate improvement; the BOLT must still be stopped at the first involuntary urge

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Both M3 metrics must be present. If only the BOLT score is submitted at M3 without the resting breath rate, ask for the breath rate measurement
• The M3 BOLT score should be taken under rested conditions. If the person notes they were anxious or recently active when retesting, the score may not be comparable to M1
• The attestation should describe observed practice behaviour across the 8 weeks, not just the final state. Ask whether the attesting person was present throughout the programme or only at the end

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