Everybody gets out of breath during a run. Exercise quickly uses up the oxygen the runner has in stock and he quickly builds up an oxygen debt. The oxygen debt makes him breathless. The biggest hint to combat this shortness of breath is to run at an appropriate pace where one can breathe easily. A rule of thumb is to be able to talk with a companion during a run. If the runner finds that he cannot maintain a conversation while he runs, the best thing to do is to slow down to a pace at which he can.
Breathing Well is Running Well
Breathing well is important to the runner to get her a constant flow of oxygen to her muscles. This fuels her stamina to cover long distances. This constant oxygen supply also makes running much more enjoyable. The workouts simply need to be enjoyable to help keep the runner working out.
Breathing through the Mouth vs Breathing through the Nose
How does one breathe well? Proper breathing is easy breathing. Different patterns can all work equally well. In general, breathing through the mouth is better than through the nose because it takes in more oxygen and blows away more carbon dioxide. Breathing through the mouth is also more relaxing to the facial muscles compared with breathing through the nose, which requires holding facial and jaw muscles in contraction to keep the mouth shut. A slightly opened mouth and a drooping jaw keep the facial muscles relaxed.
Short Breaths vs Long Breaths
Short and shallow breaths work better. One can take in several deep and long breaths when he is feeling short of breath. However, he should avoid forcing himself to breathe longer or harder. Rather, he should be feeling comfortable, natural and relaxed in his breathing pattern. The rhythm of breathing also matters. The runner should keep inhaling and exhaling at a rate that feels natural to him, regardless of what speed he is running at. Some coaches describe this as "don't think about it, just breathe, then listen to the breathing". If the breathing sounds too hard, the runner is often running too fast for his current level of fitness. He would have to slow down to the pace at which he is breathing easy again.
Counting the Number of Steps in One Breath
To assess her natural breathing pattern, the runner can count the number of steps she runs in a breath. Most runners run two to three steps in a breath. The actual number doesn't matter, as long as she is running at a pace which allows her to run the same number of steps in a breath as in an easy relaxed run.
Abdominal Breathing vs Thoracic Breathing
Breathing out of the belly (abdominal breathing) is more natural than breathing out of the chest (thoracic breathing) to most runners. The runner often can tell whether he is adopting abdominal breathing or thoracic breathing by checking whether his belly goes in and out to a greater extent than which his chest does up and down.
By breathing well, the runner develops endurance and stamina. She feels less stressed, more energetic, and more willing to workout. Good breathing, although simple, leads to great benefits.
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