W.LOCUST ST.- Receiving round after round of standing ovations from a Johnson City convention hall full of physical therapists and high school coaches, lecturer/exercise scientist Robert Culligan ushered in a new era in athletic breath recovery on Tuesday.
“Come to a dead stop, bend 120 degrees at the waist, and suck in as much air as you can as fast as you can,” the former track star told a wildly supportive audience.
“If you feel like falling to the ground and flopping around a little bit in agony after a big play or after a warm-up run, you just do what it takes to get your breath back.”
Many of the high school coaches stopped playing “grab-ass” long enough to support Culligan’s theories after the lecture.
“Of course its natural to just keep on moving, and breathe through the nose with your back ramrod straight when you’re out of breath,” said John Paty, a Georgia high school football coach. “But I always tell my boys in-between plays, ‘Don’t just do what feels good. You better bend way over, put your hands on your knees, and gasp for air through your mouth before I have to put my foot up your ass.’

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