How to breathe correctly when running so as not to get tired?

If you are considering starting a run or if you recently joined a running group , you will not want to miss this note. All of us who run, have ever wondered how to breathe when running so as not to get tired. Whether you are suffocating while running or because you want to improve your performance, to practice this sport it is key that you learn how to breathe.

You have probably already heard all kinds of opinions about it. Maybe they even told you that you have to breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth, something that is not recommended. Therefore, here we give you several tips on how to breathe well when running so as not to get tired.

  • Posture . While running, try to stay upright and avoid leaning forward or stooping. This will decrease your lung capacity and hinder your training. The more air you can process, the better your response will be.
  • Deep breaths . Fill your stomach with air instead of your chest. Take air through the mouth and, if necessary, through the nose. You should feel that your stomach expands and your chest, no. Then exhale slowly and fluidly through the mouth. This type of breathing gives your lungs maximum expansion capacity to receive more oxygen. Breathing in this way will also prevent you from having punctures when running. It is one of the most important techniques when it comes to learning how to breathe when running so as not to get tired.
  • Use your arms to push yourself . Although it may not seem like it, the correct position of the arms when running can bring you many benefits. While running, keep your arms at a 90º angle. To move them, rotate them from the shoulders and, while carrying one arm back, propel the other forward. This movement will help you propel you and you will share the effort not to overload your legs. In addition, this position will help you keep your torso straight and not stoop. Be careful not to lean forward, this would decrease your breathing capacity. Although it seems basic, it is a fundamental point of how to breathe when running so as not to get tired.
  • Inspire for 3 steps . Here we incorporate the rhythm. When you run, try to follow a frequency of inspirations and expirations (later we explain the different sequences that are usually practiced). Count 3 steps while taking air through your mouth and nose. Try to be deep inspirations, that fill your stomach with oxygen.
  • Exhale during 2 steps . Exhale through the mouth while counting the next 2 steps and repeat this frequency of 3 breaths and 2 breaths (3: 2 or another, as you will see later).
  • Try to have a conversation . If you go out running in company, you should be able to have a conversation with the other person without suffocating and without responding in monosyllables. You should even be able to sing a song. If you lack air, slow down and rest a bit while you walk. Running-walking intervals are very effective in increasing distances without you feeling exhausted or out of breath. Although it is not the most effective in the competition, it is something that can help us learn how to breathe when running so as not to get tired.
  • Do not hurry the step very soon . Try to improve your resistance first and then speed. Once you have found your rhythm and can run without getting tired, then assume the challenge of running faster.

 The respiratory frequencies

Depending on the intensity of your training, you probably increase the frequency of breaths. The frequency refers to the number of inspirations you take and the expirations you give with respect to your steps. For example, a frequency of 3: 3 means that you breathe in deeply as you take 3 steps and turn during the next 3 steps.

Normally, the 3: 3 frequency is the most used for easy and quiet exits. With this frequency, you should be able to process the amount of oxygen needed for proper performance. Anyway, if you are not comfortable and you notice that you lack air, do not force yourself. You can try a frequency of 2: 2. That is to say, you inspire during 2 steps and turns during the following 2. In the quiet races, the goal is to maintain a comfortable degree of effort and help the body recover.

Slower breaths, such as one with a 4: 4 rhythm, are not recommended because the body is not given enough time to release carbon dioxide.

Some more recommendations

  • Departures with moderate pace . For those more intense outings, in which your objective is to work hard, but neither give everything, a frequency of 2: 2 is usually used. This would allow you to take about 45 breaths per minute, an ideal pace for marathons.
  • High performance races and workouts . Perhaps this respiratory rate is not enough towards the end of a race or during a session of high performance intervals. In these cases, you may want to try a 1: 2 or 2: 1. A 1: 1 breath may not be efficient, since you would not give the lungs the necessary amount of oxygen to ventilate properly.
  • Why is it important to correct my breathing when running ? Knowing your rhythm will bring you many more benefits than you imagine. Once you learn to breathe well so you do not get tired, you will discover new sensations, like realizing if you are hurrying. You can notice if you are going faster or too slowly depending on how comfortable you feel when you breathe. You can also recover from a flatus or punctures. If you have one of these episodes while running, take your frequency to a 3: 3 rhythm, with controlled breaths. undoubtedly one of the most important reasons when learning how to breathe when running to avoid getting tired is to avoid or diminish the effects of flatus or punctures in a faster way.