Most of us don't give breathing a second thought when running. After all, breathing is as natural as...breathing! (ha-ha!). Trouble is, most of us don't do it right. We tend to take shallow breathes from our chest when running, rather than engaging your powerful diaphragm muscles
Training your respiratory muscles to be more efficient can reduce their oxygen consumption, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. And the less they need, the more you can direct to working muscles.
Bringing your diaphragm into play, however, is only the first step in rhythmic breathing. Step two: pairing it with cadence, or foot strikes.
Running might appear to be a low-impact sport, but every time your foot hits the ground, you rock your joints with a force equal to more than twice your body weight. This stress is compounded at the start of each exhale. When you breathe out, your diaphragm and the muscles around it relax, reducing core stability. The less stable it is, the greater your risk of injury all over.
It gets worse. Most runners breathe evenly with their cadence, inhaling every two steps and exhaling every two steps. That means they begin each exhalation on the same foot." Ever notice more pains on one side of your body than the other? Now you know the reason.
Rhythmic breathing disrupts that process by extending inhalations to a count of three while keeping exhalations at a count of two. By inhaling longer than you exhale, you stay in a 'core solid' position for the majority of your run. You also begin each exhalation on a different foot, distributing the impact force equally between both sides of your body.
The five-count pattern is best for slow to moderate running. For faster running, shift to a three-count [two in, one out] pattern.
These two patterns unlock the third benefit of rhythmic breathing: measuring effort. Using one pattern for long runs and another for races and intervals gives you an internal pacer that ensures you don't run out of fuel too early or finish with too much left in your tank. Running is all about efficiency, and the better you are at measuring your effort, the faster you'll get.
Training your respiratory muscles to be more efficient can reduce their oxygen consumption, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. And the less they need, the more you can direct to working muscles.
Bringing your diaphragm into play, however, is only the first step in rhythmic breathing. Step two: pairing it with cadence, or foot strikes.
Running might appear to be a low-impact sport, but every time your foot hits the ground, you rock your joints with a force equal to more than twice your body weight. This stress is compounded at the start of each exhale. When you breathe out, your diaphragm and the muscles around it relax, reducing core stability. The less stable it is, the greater your risk of injury all over.
It gets worse. Most runners breathe evenly with their cadence, inhaling every two steps and exhaling every two steps. That means they begin each exhalation on the same foot." Ever notice more pains on one side of your body than the other? Now you know the reason.
Rhythmic breathing disrupts that process by extending inhalations to a count of three while keeping exhalations at a count of two. By inhaling longer than you exhale, you stay in a 'core solid' position for the majority of your run. You also begin each exhalation on a different foot, distributing the impact force equally between both sides of your body.
The five-count pattern is best for slow to moderate running. For faster running, shift to a three-count [two in, one out] pattern.
These two patterns unlock the third benefit of rhythmic breathing: measuring effort. Using one pattern for long runs and another for races and intervals gives you an internal pacer that ensures you don't run out of fuel too early or finish with too much left in your tank. Running is all about efficiency, and the better you are at measuring your effort, the faster you'll get.
Summary
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1
Start inhaling as your right foot hits the ground, and continue sucking air deep into your lungs for two more steps (right, left, right). Make the inhale one calm, continuous breath |
2
Exhale for your next two steps (left,right), breathing out with slightly more force. But don't do it so fast that you run out of breath. Count off the entire rhythmic breathing pattern like this: In-2-3, out-2 |
3
Repeat, this time starting your inhalation as your left foot hits the ground. It's this alternating foot-strike pattern that distributes the impact forces equally between both sides of your body, reducing your risk of injury |