Tips on Breathing

Some tips on breathing that I have found useful...

• There is no specific way of breathing that will guarantee a smooth run.
• Breathing is important because you need to get oxygen to your muscles, so the more oxygen you get the more efficient your run will be.
• It is recommended to breathe through your nose and mouth to make your breaths more efficient (more volume of air in a breath).
• It is important to use your diaphragm to breath, you know if you are using your diaphragm if your stomach moves out while you inhale. In this way you will fill up your lungs completely.
• The only rule that counts is to always try to get a nice volume of air and exhale all the CO2 possible.
  
• There are many breathing patterns and they vary according to the type of exerciser or run and your rhythm of preference
• For long runs it is recommended to have long deep breaths and for short quick runs it is recommended faster deep breaths
• There are 2-2, 3-2, 2-1 patterns: inhale 2 steps and exhale 2 steps, inhale 2 steps and exhale 3 steps, inhale 1 step and exhale 2 steps. You can find the one that is best for you little by little, but the important part is to make sure you are exhaling as much CO2 as you can.
  
• Sometimes the 2-2 pattern can still cause some side pain because you are using the same side of your body when starting the inhalation and exhalation process. If you feel this, try a 3-2 or 2-1 pattern.
• You can also try varying the pattern of your breaths, for example inhale with one breath and exhale with two breaths. This might help you keep a rhythm without having to count your steps.
  
• Another type of pattern can be smaller inhalations until lungs are full and a nice long exhalation until all the air is out, again the important thing is to fill up your lungs and get rid of the CO2.
• If you feel you are out of breath, slow down catch up to your breath and find a nice rhythm that will give you a smooth run.
• Refer to the following articles for more information: How to breath while running by Coach Jenny from Runner's World and Improve your running with proper breathing by Dave Elger.