Out of Breath on the Run?
When you’re a first-time (or even a seasoned) runner, you may wonder, “why is breathing so hard while running?” The answer is simple: While running, your body is asked to use a lot more oxygen in a shorter amount of time, which makes the way you breathe important. Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, quickly shows its advantages when it comes to running.
What is belly breathing?
With belly breathing, the air you breathe in travels down to the lower portion of your lungs and stays there longer. This uses the entire capacity of the lungs. Therefore, it increases the oxygen uptake, making it more efficient for runners. Belly breathing can have a huge impact on performance and also offers stress-relieving perks! Learn more about the benefits of running.
Practice the technique
As with any change, this shift will likely take time to master. Know that with intentional practice, consistency and patience, belly breathing will eventually become automatic and feel completely natural.
- Lie down on the floor and place your hands or a light book on your stomach.
- Breathe in — deeply and consciously — through your nose. Then, breathe out — deeply and consciously — through your mouth. You should be able to clearly see the book rise when you breathe in and fall as you breathe out.
- Focus on trying to exhale all the air out of your lungs.
- Continue practicing and staying observant of your breathing pattern for 5-10 minutes.
After completing this exercise three times this week, do it while standing in front of a mirror. Are you able to keep your shoulders down and see the movement only in your chest and stomach? If you’re able to accomplish this, it’s time to practice while running!
Mouth vs. Nose Breathing
When running, you want to take in as much oxygen and expel carbon dioxide as efficiently as possible. Physically, you can’t take in as much air through your nose as your mouth. So, as a general rule-of-thumb new runners should run practicing belly breathing through their mouth.
Belly breathing is one of the first building blocks of strong, comfortable running. Keep practicing it on your runs this week as you continue building your running foundation.
Information Sources:
Harvard: Breathing Your Way to Better Health
Very Well Health
Inc: Science Says You’ve Been Breathing All Wrong. Here’s How to Do It Right
Runtastic Adidas blog
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