50 Words or Less
The Neuropeak Pro NTEL Belt provides feedback on your breathing practice to help you remain calm under stress and maximize your performance.
Introduction
Neuropeak Pro may be new to you, but it’s a company that the world’s elite athletes have been working with for a long time. Players like Jordan Spieth, Bryson Dechambeau, as well as athletes across every other major sport use them to optimize their performance. The NTEL Belt is Neuropeak Pro’s first offering for the recreational athlete, and I tested one to see if it could be a game changer for the weekend warrior.
Learn more about NeuroPeak Pro from their Director of Golf, Andy Matthews HERE
Set Up & Ease of Use
The Neuropeak Pro NTEL Belt comes ready to use out of the box. All you need to do is download the Neuropeak Pro app, connect the belt via Bluetooth, and get to work.
Inside the app, you’ll find tabs for Coaching, Evaluation, Training, Trends, and Profile. It’s recommended that you start with the Coaching-Breathing Fundamentals videos. There are six videos in this series, most around 3-4 minutes. I like that the app allows you to train while you watch the videos. There are also video series on Taking it to the Course, Life Application, and Precision Breathing.
The other parts of the app are fairly self explanatory. Training is where you’ll spend most of your time. You can also check in with Evaluations as regularly as you like. Trends will show you the patterns in your training and evaluations.
While there is a lot of jargon in the Neuropeak Pro universe, it’s presented in a way that’s fairly easy to grasp. The app works well, and the battery life on the belt is strong.
Effectiveness
Let’s start with what a training session looks like. You tap the “Training” button which brings up the screen on the right, above. Tap “Start Session” and the green ball expands and contracts to cue your breathing. There is no maximum or minimum training time, but NeuroPeak Pro suggests sixty minutes of training per week, spread over five days. If you’re using the NTEL Belt, each training produces stats on your Heart Rate Variability and Breathing Structure.
What is the benefit? The big promise of the NTEL Belt is this: “Learn to breathe in a way that maximizes your performance in the game, at work, at home, and when it matters most.”
I think it’s easy to scoff at the idea of “learning to breathe,” but take a moment to think about how much your breath controls. When our breathing is rapid, our minds race and our bodies experience stress. When we slow our breathing, we shift to a calmer state physically, mentally, and emotionally.
My experience with the NeuroPeak Pro NTEL Belt has been very positive. I’ve enjoyed setting aside a few minutes each day to slow down and breathe. I can’t report wholesale changes to my life or golf game, but I do have more awareness of my physical and mental states. When I find myself getting stressed or rushed, it’s easier to quickly recalibrate with a few mindful breaths.
The benefits of the NTEL Belt are gamifying the practice and providing feedback. With the belt, you can see how your body is responding to the training over time and how consistent your breathing is during each session. You also accumulate points through training, which some people will find motivating.
Longevity
The NeuroPeak Pro NTEL Belt is extremely portable and can easily live in your work bag, gym bag, golf bag, or even your pocket. The other piece is your phone, which most people have at all times anyway.
To the question of, “Will you actually use it?” I would equate the NTEL Belt to most other trainers. The gamification is fine, but it wasn’t what kept me coming back. I felt better when I did my training, so I trained as regularly as I could. If you need to see day-and-night changes instantly to stick with something, this probably isn’t for you.
Value
The Neuropeak Pro NTEL Belt retails for $399. That gets you the NTEL Belt and a 60-day trial of the Trends feature in the app plus more Coaching content. After the 60 days, this costs $5/month or $50/year. If you do not continue your membership, the NTEL Belt and app still work, you just won’t have access to Trends or NTEL Points in the app.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling to bring your best game to the course, NeuroPeak Pro may be the missing piece for you as it has been for other athletes. Even if you’re just looking for a little more calm in your day, it’s worth a try. The app is free, so you have nothing to lose.
Visit Neuropeak Pro HERE
Matt Saternus
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