How to Breathe When Running?

The main focus when considering how to breathe when running is that of taking in as much air as possible with each breath so your muscles are being supplied with the largest amount of oxygenated blood as possible.

The way you do this varies according to the situation you’re in, for example running in cold weather or becoming very fatigued will both the effect the way you need to breathe.

Firstly you need to breathe as deeply as possible so you fill your lungs with the greatest amount of oxygen. Concentrate on breathing down to the depths of your belly. If you’re doing this bit right, you should be able to feel your tummy rise and fall with each breath not just your chest.

Secondly for the most efficient way of breathing, try to use both your nose and mouth at the same time. This is the best way of taking in the largest amount of oxygen and expelling the greatest amount of carbon dioxide.

Breathing out through the mouth allows you to exhale fully, removing more carbon dioxide which is a waste product of the breathing process. However this is sometimes impractical as the nasal passage may be blocked because of allergies or a cold for example, so you may just be limited to breathing though the mouth.

Try to breathe rhythmically and develop a pattern. This ensures that you are constantly taking in as much oxygen as possible and breathing out as much carbon dioxide with each breath, thereby avoiding panting or breathing too shallow. When you breathe this way you’ll also notice that your heart rate lowers much faster.

You should generally be able to hold a conversation when you perform the majority of your runs, unless you are using a more intense type of training. If during a typical training session, you can’t string a sentence together without gasping for breath, then your breathing may be too shallow or you’re running too fast.

If you find you are getting breathless it can sometimes help to focus on breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. This may sound a little contradictory, but the purpose here is to focus on breathing, slowing down the rate and increasing the amount of oxygen taken in through each breath.

Running in cold weather is also a time when you may want to consider breathing through the nose because the nasal passage is much more efficient at filtering and warming the air as opposed to taking it straight in through the mouth.

Whilst knowing how to breathe when running is important, it isn’t fatal if you don’t get it right. Don’t worry about it too much, you’ve managed to breathe every moment of your life up until now, it’s just a case of learning a slightly different way if you plan on becoming a good runner.

In a nutshell, here’s how to breathe when running: -

• Take deep belly breaths
• Breathe in through your nose and mouth
• Breathe out through your mouth
• Focus on creating a breathing pattern
• Slow down your breathing rate as much as possible

If you want to learn more about running and how to become a better runner then click here now - running for beginners to get hold of a copy of 'How To Start Running.'