FivePointFive: Breathwork

I have been interested in breath work to improve my athletic performance for a while now. Most of the apps I’ve seen are little more than glorified meditation apps with maybe an exercise or two to increase endurance buried somewhere behind a bunch of menus. I saw an ad for FivePointFive declaring it is a breath work app for athletes and I had to try it. So far, the breathing exercises I’ve done are unlike any of the ones I’ve seen in other apps and I am cautiously optimistic that they will help improve my performance. I also like that it built a personalized 90-day plan for me…I find it much easier to stick with something long term when I have a plan. I do have one significant concern that prevents me from giving the app a perfect 5 stars though. The performance section which displays all of your data and progress only works if you have an Apple Watch. One of the major selling points of this app is that it uses your wearable to provide feedback. There is a workaround where you can broadcast your heart rate from your Garmin or other smartwatch and an AI coach will give you feedback on the class you just completed, but there is no way to view consolidated data along with long term trends. Garmin support is supposedly coming soon and I’ll be happy to amend my rating when that happens.

I had a coach point out to me that you can live for up to a couple weeks without food, days without water, but only minutes without air. Breathing well is critical not just for performance and growth but overall health. So I’ve been interested in breath work for a while but it was hard to find a simple and clear process to follow to see actual results. Five Point Five has filled that void. I now have a plan to follow and the consistency is paying off. I just finished my 200th session and notice a difference in my runs as well as my rest and recovery. It takes daily commitment, but the commitment is worth the investment. If you’re looking to dial in your breathing and take your performance and health to the next level, commit to a 90-day session and do the work…you won’t regret it.

This is my first app review on the App Store and I work in tech lol. I’ve always been health-conscious but could never wrap my head around meditation. I not quieten the mind. Breath work has been an absolute game changer in multiple aspects of my life, and this app has been a huge part of that. I love the interaction and the way that the classes are broken down. I work in a very fast paced job in the alternative investment space managing multiple clients and being able to step away for a few minutes and breathe is so reassuring and gives me an actual reset when I take a break. Incredible. I’ve been monitoring my HRV since starting, and I’m seeing improvements. The cost of this app is the equivalent to what two yoga classes? Take the plunge you won’t regret it. The other apps with many more reviews are underwhelming.