10 Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Breath While Running
You probably don’t think about your daily breathing, because it just happens spontaneously. But when you do any kind of cardio activity, like running, sometimes that's all you can think of - it's not your legs that feel like working too hard, your lungs. Because running makes extra effort, it is important to have the proper breathing apparatus, so that you do not always feel like you are breathing air every time you break anything faster than the speed of walking. We talked to two experts about why breathing can be so difficult while working, as well as tips and tricks that you can try to help you breathe more easily in your next run.
MEET A PROFESSIONAL
- Steve Stonehouse is a USATF certified running trainer and educational director of the STRIDE Franchise.
- MaryKate Welch is the coach and CPT at Rumble Boxing.
- Briana Bain, DPT, PT is a physiotherapist based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
- Why Is It So Hard To Breathe While Running?
The simple answer is that when you run, your body uses more oxygen. "Whenever we ask our muscles to work, they will need more O2," said Steve Stonehouse, a USATF certified running trainer and director of education for the STRIDE Franchise. Because running is a complete body, your whole body needs more oxygen, which leads to you breathing more (and faster) to get it into your system.
MaryKate Welch, trainer and CPT at Rumble Boxing, says that increased breathing is a sign of physical stress / increased need for your body while running. And while common, shortness of breath may play a major role in why many people find running is unpleasant or even scary. When you breathe, you inhale oxygen and emit carbon dioxide, Welch said. Poor breathing (for example, shallow breathing) prevents your body from recovering and functioning properly. But the good news is that, like any exercise, breathing techniques can help you breathe more efficiently and effectively, and ultimately can help you feel and run better.
Should You Breathe Through Your Nose Or Mouth?
Crying compared to mouth breathing will probably decrease in person and speed, but Stonehouse recommends, whenever possible, that you try to breathe through your nose. “Nasal breathing is a great way to protect yourself from airborne pathogens. Our nostrils are specially designed to support the respiratory system. Your nose, hair, and nasal passages help filter out allergies to prevent foreign bodies from entering your lungs, ”he said.
Welch recommends breathing through your nose and mouth. "During an unusual run, it's okay to breathe through your nose (or through your nose and get out of your mouth)," he said. But if you have trouble communicating, try breathing through the mouth. As you increase your speed or intensity, most people will find it very difficult to breathe through your nose because you can not just get the oxygen you need, so it is recommended that you breathe deeply through your mouth.
Stonehouse admits: “With low-intensity exercise (e.g., long-distance running), try to breathe through your nose. Yes, it is difficult, but with training, you can get better at this quickly. With high-intensity exercise (e.g., running), oral breathing becomes necessary because your system will need to receive more O2 and faster CO2.
10 Breath Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Try
Whatever the case, running will challenge your breath, but here are a few tips and training tips that can help you navigate successfully next time you hit the road or press. Different methods will work for different people, so find the one that is most convenient and comfortable for you.
01
Do Not Hold Your Spirit
Stonehouse emphasizes paying attention not to catch the wind while training. "I know this sounds crazy, but a lot of people do this without explanation," he said. After all, the perfect point is to put oxygen in your body, so breathe and exhale.
02
Focus on Your Breathing Patterns During Your Warming
The way you start running can set you up for success. In your previous run, Welch says you focus on increasing your heart rate with the breathing patterns you will use in your running.
03
Track your breathing patterns during your cooling
Finish your run the way you started — with good habits. To cool down, Welch says focus on taking your breathing patterns down to your strong daily pattern as your heart rate drops.
04
Perform Nose Breath As You Warm And Cool Down
Similarly, Stonehouse recommends using your warmth and air conditioning as an opportunity to practice breathing through your nose. “Once this condition is under control, try to combine nasal breathing with your exercise routine. It takes time, but you will get it, ”he said.
05
Practice Respiratory Rhythms
"The goal is to get rid of shallow breathing instead of deep abdominal breathing," Welch said. He suggests that you try this breathing exercise during different types of running:
- Easy running: 3: 3 (three steps while breathing, three steps while breathing)
- Middle races: 2: 2
- Multiple races: 1: 1
06
Master Belly Breathing
If you want to focus on just the breathing part, without running, Welch suggests practicing lower abdominal breathing. "It helps to strengthen and separate the diaphragm, which is the main muscle involved in breathing," Bain adds. Here's how to get used to breathing in the abdomen:
Lie on your back, hands on your stomach.
Focus on expanding your abdomen as you inhale and exhale as you exhale.
Once you have mastered this skill, move on to the running, then run, and go to your ideal running speed.
07
Maintain a Positive Race
Your body shape can help support healthy breathing and proper functioning, says Welch. Next time you run, check your body for the following:
- Keep your chest open and look forward.
- Lower your shoulders, keeping your spine connected and your spine straight.
- Trace your steps with smooth control.
08
Learn What Feels Good for Your Body
As you build up aerobic or endurance capacity, your body will begin to better understand how you should feel at light ‘speed’, ‘tempo’ speed, and even ‘speed’, ”Stonehouse said. “At STRIDE, we use‘ levels ’to determine where your effort should be and to determine how your breath should‘ feel ’at these times. This awareness will greatly reduce the respiratory pressure associated with certain exercises. ”Basically, as you build endurance, you will be able to gauge how your body should feel at different speeds, and it will be easier to run without breathing hard.
09
Do the Breath Exercise
Stonehouse recommends doing 3–5 rounds of the following below to train your breathing.
Five breaths where you inhale for five seconds and exhale for five seconds.
20 rapid abdominal breathing (keep a smooth rhythm that you can control).
Use only nasal breathing.
Finish with two breaths by breathing as slowly as possible.
10
Try Dry-Land Swimming
Stonehouse advises you to try a "dry swimming" test, which includes multiple cycles of strenuous exercise and breathing:
5/3 burpees for normal breathing / large distance full of travel work (sled or farmer carrier). Be aware of how far you can walk before you need to breathe, and all walking activity should be completed with exhale breathing traction.
Rounds 1–3: Burpees are all done (1: 30–2 min interval between these rounds).
Rounds 4–6: Burpes is caused as quickly as possible by breathing only through the nose (rest to fully recover between these cycles).