One would think that, as human beings, we don’t need to learn anything about breathing. We breathe. All day. All night. Without thinking about it.
But as N2R founder Mark Kennedy pointed out in a related blog post last year, runners tend to overthink the action of breathing. If we were all as intuitive as his three-year-old son (or any kid whose brain hasn’t yet been clouded), we’d slow down our running when we’re out of breath and then resume our pace when we have enough air.
Since we’re all just a bit older than three, and we’re also trying to run for longer periods of time than our bodies may be used to, breathing becomes a little more complicated.
I’ve been distance running for 35 years, hold an RRCA Level I running coach certification, have written two running books, and am a dang good researcher. I’ve pulled from that experience to put together this simple guide on what runners, especially new runners, need to know about breathing while running.
1) This is why running makes breathing harder:
We breathe in oxygen while breathing out carbon dioxide. (We all learned this in 5th grade). Since the act of running is physically challenging, our organs need more oxygen for our bodies to continue operating properly.
But because running is so challenging, getting enough oxygen to our organs becomes difficult and we find ourselves gasping, cramping, or just…out of breath.
2) Slowing down makes breathing easier.
Slowing down a running effort, or any effort that makes breathing difficult, has the immediate effect of making breathing easier. (Those walking segments of your Run-Walk-Run plan serve multiple purposes, regulating your breathing being one of them.)
3) Putting your hands on your knees (not over your head) makes breathing easier.
Although you may be tempted to put your hands over your head to get more air in your lungs, don’t. A 2019 study found that the better recovery position - the one that allows more air to enter your lungs and make breathing easier -is putting your hands on your knees. So if you’re really struggling after a run segment, take a few breaths with your hands on your knees before resuming your walking recovery segment.
4) Learning to breathe efficiently can make breathing easier.
While, yes, we should and could think like kids, which means not thinking about breathing at all and allowing our bodies to figure it out naturally, there are some tricks to making breathing more efficient while running. And efficient breathing while running means more efficient running in general.
5) There are a few breathing strategies worth trying.
Those strategies include:
- belly breathing
- diaphragm breathing
- rhythmic breathing
- nose/mouth combination breathing
- mouth breathing
- adjusting your arm swing
- running as “tall” as possible
- relaxing while you run
6) Belly breathing can help by making room for your diaphragm.
I find this a helpful visual: expanding our bellies while taking a deep inhale allows room for our diaphragm, which is located above the stomach, to descend and have more space to do its thing. The diaphragm, which is a large muscle surrounding a tendon, contracts while we inhale and relaxes when we exhale. The theory behind belly breathing is that extending or bellies when we inhale makes extra space for the diaphragm, therefore making breathing more efficient. Belly breathing is also referred to as “diaphragmatic breathing.”
7) Doctors recommend inhaling through the nose when belly breathing/diaphragmatic breathing, and breathing in general.
Those hairs in your nose are there for a reason—to act as a filter for all the microscopic gunk in the air and act as a humidifier. Doctors recommend inhaling through your nose while running, but running coaches often recommend breathing through your mouth.
The reason for the latter?
Your mouth is a larger opening than your nostrils, there’s no filtering nose hairs reducing the speed of air getting into your lungs, and…it’s just easier to breathe in and out of your mouth while you run. All that said, it’s worth trying both inhaling through your nose and your mouth while you run; exhale through your mouth to get rid of the carbon dioxide as quickly as possible to make room for more oxygen.
8) Rhythmic breathing is worth trying.
The American Lung Association recommends (a rather complicated, IMO) strategy for what’s known as “rhythmic breathing.” They suggest inhaling for three steps, and exhaling for two, so as to not impact the same foot while inhaling throughout your run.
Others recommend trying a two-breath inhale followed by a two-breath exhale, or a three-and-three method. Rhythmic breathing can benefit your pacing, sort of like listening to music with a certain beats per minute (bpm) count and timing your footfalls with that beat (or breath).
9) Running “tall” creates more space for your lungs and airway.
Similar to the concept of belly breathing that makes room for your diaphragm, running tall, and not hunched over at the shoulders or with a tilted pelvis (making a “C” shape with your torso) creates an open airway. Compressing anywhere from your pelvis to your head only constricts an otherwise open airway. When you run, picture a string extending from the top of your head. That imaginary string should run straight up and down to your pelvic floor.
10) Your arm swing matters.
Crossing your body with your arm swing can also constrict otherwise open airflow, as it creates more rotation in your upper body. Running with your arms swinging back and forth along your sides, or even flaring your elbows out just a tad, can open up your airway while you run.
11) Find what works for you through trial and error.
When I started running distance at age 17, someone must have told me to inhale for two counts and exhale for two counts. What’s more, is that I also inhale through my nose with my mouth open—my tongue acts as a valve that moves to the roof of my mouth when I inhale.
So, for 35 years, that’s generally how I’ve been breathing when I run. It became second nature pretty quickly and I don’t think about it; it just works for me. I also have an exaggerated flared-elbow-type of arm swing that I feel helps me breathe easier (though I look kind of funny. But hey, it works for me.
Point being: There is no harm in trying a variety of breathing techniques while you run. In fact, focusing on it may breathe (hardee har-har) new life into your running.
12) Being okay with mild to moderate discomfort can make breathing not feel so hard.
Running is hard. Breathing while running is hard. But that’s the stuff that can make you feel alive! Like an athlete! Like someone who doesn’t crumble in the face of adversity. Mild to moderate to even pretty major discomfort is natural when running.
Try not to let the increased difficulty of breathing freak you out when you’re running.
It’s all a natural part of the deal…and freaking out can make breathing even more difficult.
13) Running makes your breathing more efficient, even when you’re not running.
Running, as you likely know, has major cardiovascular and respiratory benefits. So even if breathing seems difficult while you run, know that you’re becoming a better, more efficient breather every time you do it and that those benefits will carry over to the other aspects of your life.
