The Importance of Breathing
Bruce Zimmerman
“Let all of my breath/soul praise God.” (Psalm 150)
The mindfulness of breathing. “The boys made it to the summit,” our head guide informed me. I was at 18,500 feet hoping to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro as well. However, I knew that in order for me to continue the climb, plodding an inch at a time, was a “fools’ errand.” My blood oxygen level was very low and I had difficulty catching my breath. I knew in my heart that I had climbed as far up the mountain as my breath allowed. While fighting my disappointment, it was time to begin the descent and slowly allow my breathing to begin to catch up. A short time later, my two sons, Spencer and Doran, joined me at the mid-way point to the summit. We hugged, congratulated each other and together descended to base of the mountain, breathing “normally.”
Over the previous six days we had hiked 22 miles, gaining 8,440 feet of elevation. Our goal was to reach the pre-summit base camp at 14,222 above sea level. To reach the summit was an additional 5,114 feet of altitude over 3.6 miles of a trail-less gravel climb.
According to the outfitter for our trek and climb, “Aerobic exercise is designed to improve oxygen consumption in the body. Thirty minutes to an hour of jogging, cycling, climbing stairs, or even just brisk walking are all good aerobic exercise. Aim to exercise at 70% of your maximum heart rate for the best results.”
I took their recommendations to heart and had physically trained diligently for over six months – 150 flights of stairs 3 times a week; weekend hikes with a 20lb backpack while breaking-in my hiking boots; cycling twice a week; Pilates and weight training. At times, getting to an anaerobic level of 90% of my maximum heart rate. However, all of my “diligent” training was in and around Chicago, 579 feet above sea level. There was no trouble catching my breath, let alone just breathing, in town.
As I trained, I watched many YouTube videos of individuals doing what I planned to do in the coming months, conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro. I noticed their several layers of warm clothing, not paying much attention to their heavy breathing or their youthful appearance. I have since learned, that as we age our lung function diminishes. According to the American Lung Association, “Your lungs mature by the time you are about 20-25 years old. After about the age of 35, it is normal for your lung function to decline gradually as you age. This can make breathing slightly more difficult as you get older.” “Slightly more difficult” was an understatement to me after the fact and, no wonder I couldn’t keep up with my boys.
As I reflected on my experiences of training for the climb, attempting the climb and recovering from the climb, I realized how I neglected the most significant success factor of attaining my goal of summiting to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro – having enough oxygen to breathe.
I took my ability to breathe for granted. Don’t we all. “Let all of my breath/soul praise God.” (Psalm 150) Shanah Tovah