Breathing

cork1

Ive recently started running to build up my fitness and my big problem is breathing. after running for about 10 minutes i have to stop and catch my breath. is there a certain way of breathing whilst running or is this purely me being out of shape?

Aimman

I adopted a breathing technique that works for getting rid of a stitch while running, but out of habit, I found it very handy to do without thinking about it.

Basically, breath in and out when your left foot hits the ground. It will regulate your breathing and stop you from panting. The faster you are running, the faster you will breathe.

For long distances, one you do that type of breathing, it's one less thing to worry about and keeps your whole running momentum in balance.

Mind you, if you are only starting to run, your body is learning to cope with the extra demand on oxygen, which is why you are panting. As the body gets used to intaking more oxygen and distributing it efficiently, the panting will ease off.

Also, some people find that a guideline for a training run is to be able to hold a conversation while running. If you cant, then you might be pushing yourself a bit too hard, and slow down. Over time you will be speeding up whilst talking.

But I'd recommend breathing in on the left foot, and when your left foot hits the ground again, breath out. I'm sure there are other techniques, but this one works for me.

robinph

Aimman wrote: »

Also, some people find that a guideline for a training run is to be able to hold a conversation while running. If you cant, then you might be pushing yourself a bit too hard, and slow down. Over time you will be speeding up whilst talking.

This.

Go slower before you can go faster.

How Strange

Firstly, you're probably running too fast if you're out of breath after running for 10 mins. Slow down and concentrate on building up distance for the moment.

I had terrible problems with getting out of breath on hills etc for a while until someone showed me how to breath more effectively while running. You should breath from your stomach not your upper chest, breath deeply and exhale slowly.

It takes practice but once you get the hang of it it becomes second nature.

Condo131

How Strange wrote: »

You should breath from your stomach not your upper chest, breath deeply and exhale slowly.

It takes practice but once you get the hang of it it becomes second nature.

Sound advice!

I find that a lot of beginners/improvers tend to shallow breathe, and it gets worse as you go faster. The result is that you go into oxygen debt very early and then to breathe even shallower.

Try relaxing your shoulders AND breathing from your stomach. It may take a while but as How Strange says, it'll become second nature (until, I find) the finishing straight of a hard race - when everything goes out the window, unless you hold your nerve!)

Jay Pentatonic

A method that helps me is breathing in through my nose & out through my mouth, & doing it fairly slowly.:)

How Strange

Condo131 wrote: »

it'll become second nature (until, I find) the finishing straight of a hard race - when everything goes out the window, unless you hold your nerve!)

Very true. I usually finish a race hyperventilating!

How Strange

Jay1989 wrote: »

A method that helps me is breathing in through my nose & out through my mouth, & doing it fairly slowly.:)

yep, forgot to say this. It's also good to get used to breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth. Again, it took me a while to get the hang of it but now it's second nature.

Rossin

sorry to bump an old thread but its the same question really

i play football and run a bit but im hoping to run a lot more over the summer. ive always breathed through my mouth, would it be of much if any use to me to learn to breath in through my nose? i would only be doing 5-10k runs

huskerdu

Rossin wrote: »

sorry to bump an old thread but its the same question really

i play football and run a bit but im hoping to run a lot more over the summer. ive always breathed through my mouth, would it be of much if any use to me to learn to breath in through my nose? i would only be doing 5-10k runs

I don't think so. I get blocked sinuses a lot, so I automatically breathe in my mouth, especially when running. Its never bothered me.

If I were you, I would take all of the other advice in this thread on board, and get running.

Once you are running regularly, you can see if you need to change.

Rossin

thanks

was just wondering if it was an amateur mistake to not be breathing through the nose!

im not quite sure how it benifits people but if i heard a good enough reason id try and practice it!

ChickenTikka

This guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Newton_(coach) advocates to break in with your mouth and your nose together and if you are able to, to breath in with your ears also :-)

Basically anyway of getting the oxygen in fast. I know alot of people advise to breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Would be interesting to know what elite runners do ... a person's mouth is bigger so in theory you can get air in more quickly through the bigger opening!

Apparently breathing in through your nose warms up the air more than via your mouth ... so may be benefit to that too.

RoyMcC

I can't work out whether or not this is a wind-up thread. From the second you're born the human body instinctively breathes in and out in the most efficient way. Why on earth would anyone believe that they can think of an improved method?

The only reasons you'll have trouble with breathing is
1. You are going too fast for your level of fitness or
2. You have an asthmatic or other restrictive condition or
3. You smoke too many fags.

Rossin

ha no its not a wind up i honestly heard the correct way to breath was in through the nose and upon googling have got mixed results but im quite happy to just going the way i am i dont have any problems, thanks anyway

ManFromAtlantis

i've also heard that you should fill up all of your lungs (lower part also) with air and not just the upper / shallow breathing. do many people here do this? does it help? much? i find it hard to get used to it .

RoyMcC

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Rossin

haha

shels4ever

This is an easy one

To breath you either

inhale inhale inhale

or

Exhale exhale exhale

A good article here

MrCreosote

If you use the nasal breathing method, be absolutely sure to get some of those nose fabric strips to increase air intake.

Personally I find the triathon specific ones no better than the usual ones, and not worth the extra money.

Micilin Muc

There's no way I can breathe in through my nose without breathing in through my mouth too.

Does anybody else have this problem?

I'd say 80% of my inhalation is through my mouth.

corny

Aerobic capacity really isn't about how much oxygen you get into lungs. Its what your lungs do with it that counts.

The average young man will have a VO2 max of approximately 3.5 litres/minute. Sucking in 10 litres won't make a blind bit of difference because your body won't be able to deal with the surplus. Just breath whatever way you feel most comfortable with. I would have thought focusing on establishing a good rhythm is the key, not what orifice you breath from.

ILikeBananas

I'll just post this here rather than start a new thread.

I'm a relatively new runner and I've a few questions about breathing. Firstly in the beginning of my runs I generally get a stitch on my right hand side. Secondly after I've been going for a few miles and if I'm pushing myself I find myself falling into the following breathing pattern: 3 short sharp breaths followed by one longish hissing breath.

I assume that this is not normal so is this likely to be an indicator that I'm going too fast or that I'm not breathing correctly?

From what I've found on-line a lot of people seem to be advocating belly breathing as opposed to chest breathing. Would this be likely to help me from your own experience?

colblimp

When I'm running, I follow a breathing technique that's quite easy to master.

1) Breathe in.
2) Breathe out.

How hard can it be?!

JUST BREATHE!!! :rolleyes:

Emer911

I find that, for me, if I find my breathing getting laboured, I breath out COMPLETELY in one short sharp exhalation. The 'panting' or hyperventilation can be linked to too much oxygen (rather than too little) and expelling all the air from the lungs kinda 're-sets' the levels.

Another tip (for stitches) is to breath in and out on alternate legs? (e.g. in for 3 out for 4)


This might be all bullsh1t, but it works for me :rolleyes:

robinph

colblimp wrote: »

When I'm running, I follow a breathing technique that's quite easy to master.

1) Breathe in.
2) Breathe out.

How hard can it be?!

JUST BREATHE!!! :rolleyes:

Most people pick up this method of breathing shortly after the nurse gives you a slap if they are not crying within seconds of popping into the world.

If your still having trouble figuring it out now then there is some major issue.

kev.f

i have tryed a few methods and personal i dont think it makes a blind bit of difference. i have tryed breathing in through the nose and out throught the mouth, and 3 in 3 out, and normal ect...

if there is a benifit i think it is by concentraiting on breathing (whichever mothod) will take your mind off running. it is a distraction of sorts.
if you are not used to breathing through your nose try it and you may find that your mind just concentrates on geting the breathing right and not on actully running (i prefer just listing to music)

or maby there is a sienctificly better way of breathing or a way i havent tryed or something.


good discussion by the way

robinph

The only time I've found how I'm breathing making a difference to the running is during cross country races where you don't want the guy in front to know you're about to try and overtake him at the next point where the trail gets wide enough.

corny

Emer911 wrote: »

I find that, for me, if I find my breathing getting laboured, I breath out COMPLETELY in one short sharp exhalation. The 'panting' or hyperventilation can be linked to too much oxygen (rather than too little) and expelling all the air from the lungs kinda 're-sets' the levels.

I've never tried that. Think its more to do with increased carbon dioxide production in the body when you go above anaerobic threshold. The increase in ventilation (above whats needed for metabolism) is you trying to get rid of the CO2.

PS I'm not a doctor. Just reading a book with nice fancy words at the minute.:D

ILikeBananas

colblimp wrote: »

When I'm running, I follow a breathing technique that's quite easy to master.

1) Breathe in.
2) Breathe out.

How hard can it be?!

JUST BREATHE!!! :rolleyes:

robinph wrote: »

Most people pick up this method of breathing shortly after the nurse gives you a slap if they are not crying within seconds of popping into the world.

If your still having trouble figuring it out now then there is some major issue.

Just because we're doing something our whole lives doesn't mean that we are doing it in the most efficient way possible.

RoyMcC

ILikeBananas wrote: »

Just because we're doing something our whole lives doesn't mean that we are doing it in the most efficient way possible.

We are. Just as if we were still running around chasing wild pigs we'd be running in the most efficient way. Evolution has a knack of doing this.

ILikeBananas

RoyMcC wrote: »

We are. Just as if we were still running around chasing wild pigs we'd be running in the most efficient way. Evolution has a knack of doing this.

In evolutionary terms our bodies and minds are still back in that era. Some of the most common problems that occur in our lives are a result of the rapid evolution of our environment and living conditions in comparison to our bodies over the past few thousand years.

As such we should all be excellent at breathing but for many reasons growing up in the western world we switch to a shallow form of breathing which isn't as efficient as the deeper "belly breathing" that we used to do as infants.

AntiVirus

ILikeBananas wrote: »

As such we should all be excellent at breathing but for many reasons growing up in the western world we switch to a shallow form of breathing which isn't as efficient as the deeper "belly breathing" that we used to do as infants.

Just because some one is shallow breathing doesn't mean they don't know how to breath properly, when they need to take a deep breath, they will. You probably hold your breath without realising every now and then.

ManFromAtlantis

RoyMcC wrote: »

We are. Just as if we were still running around chasing wild pigs we'd be running in the most efficient way. Evolution has a knack of doing this.

Would we be wearing runners ?

seriously i know a guy that used to breathe in but would then forget to breathe out.
when i told him he should breathe out as well he thanked me and his running has improved a bit.

AntiVirus

ManFromAtlantis wrote: »

Would we be wearing runners ?

seriously i know a guy that used to breathe in but would then forget to breathe out.
when i told him he should breathe out as well he thanked me and his running has improved a bit.

You just reminded him, he didn't learn anything knew.