4 keys to lung health and healing (BOLT/CP)
The BOLT or control pause is a measure of the level of carbon dioxide in the alveoli based on a comfortable breath hold. This score is used to measure lung health and monitor your progress. This score is also a reflection of your stress (mental and emotional) resilience and tolerance.
What to do:
Measure BOLT/CP on waking.
Measure BOLT/CP throughout the day as a calibration of what your breathing is like.
What is the significance of the CP?
A BOLT/CP of less than twenty seconds indicates upper chest breathing, faster breathing rate, higher breathing volume and heightened stress.
If BOLT/CP less than twenty seconds: main symptoms are present – blocked nose, snoring, insomnia, fatigue, coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, exercise-induced asthma.
BOLT/CP between 20 to 40 seconds: main symptoms are gone but have symptoms if exposed to a trigger.
BOLT/CP of 40 seconds: very rarely will you have symptoms.
Essential rules to make progress:
You will feel better when your BOLT/CP increases by 5 seconds
If BOLT/CP does not change, healing slows down and lung capacity stays unchanged.
Essential rules to make progress:
BOLT/CP will increase by 3-4 seconds during the first 2-3 weeks. When BOLT/CP reaches 20 seconds, it is normal for progression to slow down. It is not uncommon to remain “stuck” at 20 seconds for 8-10 weeks. In order to increase BOLT/CP from 20-40 secs it is necessary to perform physical exercise and improve how you sleep. Poor sleep will put you in a sympathetic state and results in BOLT/CP not improving.
Physical exercise is necessary to increase the BOLT/CP above 20 secs. The most accurate BOLT/CP is taken first thing after waking.
BOLT/CP taken throughout the day will provide feedback of breathing at that time.
Goal is to have a morning BOLT/CP of 40 seconds for 6 months.
(Source: Buteykoclinic manual)
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