Breathwork

Bodybuilder · Six-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia

During contest prep he wakes up and does three rounds of 30 breaths with a hold and exhale before cardio. He says he started it for the mental side and now does it mainly to oxygenate his body, adding that on those mornings he did not need caffeine to get through cardio.

Biohacker · Bulletproof Coffee

A daily non-negotiable for him for several years: faster breathing with his morning coffee to get going, slow exhale-heavy sessions after work to come down, and box breathing at five seconds a side when emotions run hot. He credits the slow work with lifting his HRV by close to a quarter.

Tennis player · Record 24 Grand Slam singles titles

Calls conscious breathing the skill an athlete has to master to cope with break points, crowds and the fact that nobody substitutes for you. Asked whether he meditates on court, his answer was that the first rule of meditation is breathing.

Actor · Friends and The Morning Show

Suggests that anyone struggling with stress take five minutes, or 20 if they have it, to do some breath work or dial into a mantra as a way to center themselves. She starts her own day with a morning meditation and encourages others to try the same.

Strength coach · StrongFirst

Two breathing practices turn up in his answers. The biomechanical breathing match pairs a sharp nasal inhale on the way down of a swing with a forceful exhale on the way up, and is how they strengthen the breathing muscles, he says. A breathing ladder, from a colleague, counts rest between sets in breaths, which he says disciplines you to slow down and stop panicking.

Actor · Wolverine and The Greatest Showman

A trick from his singing teacher: as you breathe in, imagine you are breathing out. Tense singers pull the larynx up as they inhale, he explains; the ones who make you melt inhale as if relaxing, so they are prepared before the note arrives.