How To Breathe Properly While Running. If you want to keep your body in shape, you should exercise regularly. Running is a great way to do this. If you want to start doing this, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Breathing technique in particular causes difficulties for many people. That’s why we’ve put together some key information on how to breathe properly while running.
Breathe Properly While Walking Slowly
Especially when you are just starting to run, you should choose a slow pace. After all, your body still has to get used to the new strain. When jogging at a leisurely pace, it is advisable to breathe deeply into your stomach. This allows you to take in a lot of air. First of all, it doesn’t matter whether you breathe through your mouth or your nose.
However, if you go jogging several times a week, you should breathe in through your nose at a slow pace if possible. You can then exhale through your mouth. Breathe in deeply and consciously and exhale just as relaxed. Deep breaths require your entire lung capacity. This is precisely why they guarantee the best possible training effect.
However, the benefits of deep abdominal breathing go far beyond that. In particular, this breathing technique protects your organs. It allows your body to regenerate faster and lets the cells work at their best. A deep breath transports several liters of ambient air into your lungs.
The body is dependent on a regular supply of oxygen, especially during exertion. If you breathe deeply and consciously, you can take your needs into account in a targeted manner. You will quickly notice whether you need to breathe more, or whether you can even slow down the rhythm of your breathing.
Breathing as much as possible through your nose also protects you from diseases. Especially in winter, you will be spared one or two colds. Because your immune system is particularly challenged by the sport itself, you should put as little stress on it as possible. Unlike the pharynx, the nasal mucous membranes filter viruses from the ambient air. This is how pathogens don’t even manage to get into your body.
Mouth Breathing When Running Fast
At a certain speed, however, you will not be able to avoid full mouth breathing. When you run fast, your body needs a lot of oxygen. Breathing through the nose alone cannot meet this need. Rather, you now have to use your mouth. Continue to breathe deeply into your stomach and make sure that your entire lung volume is used.
In contrast to breathing through your nose, you can breathe in much faster through your mouth. The faster the pace, the more frequently you’ll need to inhale and exhale. However, be careful not to gasp. At the latest then you have overloaded yourself.
After a fast run, you should give your body time to regenerate. If you want to continue jogging after a more intensive training section, a noticeably slower pace is recommended. Then it is important to switch back to inhaling through the nose as quickly as possible. After all, mouth breathing puts a double strain on your immune system. You should avoid this unless absolutely necessary.
How To Deal With Shortness Of Breath?
A particularly unpleasant experience is shortness of breath. If you run too fast for even a few minutes, it can become very difficult for your body to get the oxygen it needs. You then slip into a kind of oxygen deficit. What the body used up too much beforehand, it now has to get back as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, even with the best breathing technique, you cannot completely prevent shortness of breath. After all, it occurs especially when you reach the limits of your physical capacity.
To avoid shortness of breath in the first place, you should manage your strength intelligently. Especially beginners run much too fast at the beginning. We can only strongly advise against this. However, once the shortness of breath sets in, there are some effective steps you can take.
Just as with running, the same applies here: breathe deeply and consciously. Be careful not to inhale and exhale very quickly without using your full lung capacity. The most important motto is to stay calm. Deep abdominal breathing can help immensely. It not only relaxes your breathing muscles but also has a calming effect on your entire body.
Practice Correct Breathing Technique
Using the correct breathing technique at all times is by no means easy. Even professional athletes have to regularly train their breathing while running. For this reason, you should also consciously work on your breathing technique for a few minutes several times a week. Take deep breaths and breathe in and out as much air as possible – sometimes through your nose, sometimes through your mouth. This is the only way your body can get used to a certain rhythm.
The breathing technique must also be rehearsed again and again in stressful situations. So make sure that you jog alternately fast and slow, breathing in the correct way. Once you have trained yourself in the correct breathing technique, you can easily reduce the breathing training. However, please don’t stop there. Unfortunately, your body can quickly forget the special forms of breathing.
Therefore, even after a few months – for example before going to sleep – take a little time to perfect your breathing technique in peace and quiet. Breathing in through the nose, followed by breathing out through the mouth, can still feel unfamiliar even after a long time.
So that it doesn’t become an unpleasant challenge during sports, you should decouple the breathing training from running. However, it is completely sufficient if you take a few minutes to do it immediately before exercising. It is not recommended to do breathing exercises shortly after jogging. After particular stress, your body needs a few hours to recover.
Breathe Properly While Running – Our Conclusion
Learning the right breathing technique while jogging is not easy. With just a few tips, however, you can go a long way. For slow-running, breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. However, this breathing technique can no longer really be maintained above a certain higher tempo.
When running fast, you should only breathe through your mouth. However, make sure that you make the best possible use of your lung capacity. This is the only way your physical performance can fully develop. Then nothing stands in the way of you doing sports.
