The objective of the Buteyko method is to eliminate deep breathing and restore slow, rhythmic and gentle breathing automatically and unconsciously. To do this we must increase our CP (Control Pause) – this is our measurement of automatic unconscious breathing and it gives us useful feedback about the level of our health. To increase the CP, we perform specific breathing exercises and also physical exercise with nasal breathing. Dr. Konstantin Buteyko stated that whatever method used to increase the CP in the long term is beneficial for the body.
For many sick people, breathing exercises can be very difficult due to the inability to relax or being simply unaware of how much air hunger they should acquire for a successful breathing session. Daily physical exercise can feel like an impossible task and thus after a routine has been established, it is usually discontinued after a few days or weeks due to the lack of motivation and fatigue. For many people, this is where the Frolov Respiratory Device can come in use. Designed in the 1990’s by Vladimir Frolov and Eugene Kustov, the Frolov trainer was utilised as a breathing device that could be used without the need of a Buteyko practitioner. The benefit of the device is that it is easy to use and can be quite forgiving when doing breathing exercises. For example, when performing traditional Buteyko breathing exercises, one can hold too much air hunger and affect the session for a few minutes before returning to a normal level of air hunger, and can negatively affect the post-session CP – this is especially common amongst new patients.
However, any mistakes during the Frolov session are easy to rectify and the session can continue as normal with no affect to the post-session CP at all. Another benefit is for those people who suffer with sinus and nasal issues – when someone has chronic inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses, simple nose-unblocking exercises are sometimes not enough to allow the airways to become free. This is important when practicing Buteyko exercises, such as Reduced Breathing, as the air hunger of the ‘trapped’ CO2 will cause a stress in the patient. However, using the Frolov device bypasses this issue as it is used exclusively through the mouth (with maybe a minimal amount of nasal breathing).
How Does It Work?
When using the Frolov Device, we continuously breath air in and out of the device using the mouth, the device traps part of the exhaled air, which contains more CO2 and less O2. The continuous exposure to CO2 and lack of stress creates a synergistic effect which greatly increases the post-session CP compared to normal breathing exercises. It must be made clear, that the Frolov device wouldn’t necessarily be long-term treatment, but would predominantly used for people at the start start of their Buteyko breathing journey who need some additional help. Once people reach higher CP’s they have a tendency to prefer traditional Buteyko breathing exercises. We offer a comprehensive Buteyko Buteyko breathing course which includes full training on both the Frolov device and the Buteyko breathing method. these two aspects will make your journey to healthy levels of quicker and easier. It is highly recommended to utilise both these methods together for optimal results. Below is a link to Amazon.co.uk where you can purchase a Frolov Respiratory Trainer Device.
