From Rose Ovenden, Gembrook, Victoria, Australia
I loved “Cheat your way to better health”, but when it came to E. Fiona Bailey’s experiments with the Powerbreathe device, I wondered if she had considered the breathing exercise provided by playing a wind instrument. Brass and reed instruments in particular demand not only great breath control, but high-intensity “resistance training” for the diaphragm and ab muscles – a lot more than five sets of six breaths, too. As a shawm player, I have personal experience of this (1 July, p 40).
