How to Properly Breathe While You Run

We don’t think about breathing day to day, minute to minute, it’s our body’s natural autonomic nervous system, just like the beat of our heart. So when are faced with a situation, like exercise, where we should be thinking about our breathing habits, it’s common for people to make mistakes.

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When exercising your muscles are at a greater demand of oxygen so you are creating more carbon dioxide as a result.  The yogi’s definitely have something right, paying attention breathing during your workout can help you to feel more comfortable, prevent complications and help you to get more out of your workout. So here are some tips on how to breathe better when running on your treadmill.

This article on SparkPeople.com suggests diaphragmatic breathing when running to allow for deeper, fuller breaths. This will supply better oxygen delivery during cardio exercise. Now here’s how:

1. Relax your abdominals slightly. Pulling them in too tightly or sucking in your stomach will limit how fully you can breathe.
2. Breathe deeply enough that your belly—not your chest—rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
3. Continue this technique at your own pace to meet your oxygen needs during exercise.

This article from Military.com also has another helpful suggestion, the “3:2 inhale-to-exhale ratio…This means you INHALE on the LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes and EXHALE fully on the RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes.”

These may take some time to get used to, and might even possible cause you to slow down but if you are able to grasp these concepts it will soon become habit. When you are able to better control your breathing when running, it will help you to handle higher intensities without feeling as fatigued.

Written By: Jentry