How does one properly breathe while running?

Answer 1

Do not listen to those in through the nose out through the mouth people. They are not real runners. Just look at any world-class long distance runners on Youtube. All the breathing is through the mouth. Look at Lance Armstrong and other cyclists. There mouths are wide open when they're climbing hills. It's the same for running. Breathing through the mouth gets a lot of air to the lungs quickly.

Answer 2

A physiologist will tell you that we breathe the way we do to conserve the most energy. This is why we breathe deep at rest...because there is nothing to push back against our chest. It is also why when someone sits or pushes on our chest, we take much shallower breaths.....simply because it is too much work for the body to expand the chest cavity under that much pressure.

That said, the same goes for running. Taking very deep breaths requires extra contractions of the intercostal muscles on the ribs which uses energy. This is why as we exercise we take fewer breaths....the body wants to save that energy for the rest of the muscles in the body currently at work.

Basically you can breathe exactly how your body is telling you to breathe to achieve maximum energy usage. Taking a deep breath once in a while will help keep your cells away from low oxygen levels (called hypoxia) but will use more energy that could be sent to your muscles instead.

Edit:
A physiologist will also say that breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth does nothing!!! It is a rule of thumb developed by someone a while back that everyone assumes to be something of use....it is not!!! Both your oral and nasal cavities lead to the same trachea which lead to the same lungs. Your mouth can inhale much more air at once than your nose and both will warm the air so there is no need whatsoever to do the "in the nose, out the mouth" thing. I dare you to find an MD or PhD who disagrees with me.

Answer 3

How totally scientific your answers are, just to accomplish what we do subconsciously with great efficiency. Frankly, I usually ran with my mouth open and really didn't care which hole the air came in nor how it came out. The whole idea is to get air into the lungs so the 02 can be absorbed and distributed to the muscles.

There are exceptions when I would alter my breathing to accomplish specific things, such as to avoid/get rid of a side stitch, or to regulate my breathing for speed work.

Good Luck whatever method you choose.

Answer 4

You should take a long deep breathes and completely exhale. It will prevent you from getting "side aches". Avoiding panting and short breathes. You have to practice this to make it work. It will help increase your stamina and make it easier to run though.

The first person is completely right. In through your nose and out through the mouth.

Answer 5

You should try to breath naturally...the more you focus on it...the less natural it will be. Personally, I use both my nose & mouth (get as much as I can). When I run faster on temp runs or 5k races, I try to get into a rythym. This helps keep me calm and mentally focused. Check out the link below for some more tips. Best of luck!

- Mike

Answer 6

Inhale through your nose and exhale out your mouth with pursed lips (puckered up like you're going to kiss someone), this is called sport breathing! Also make sure that you are taking long, deep, slow breaths, DO NOT hyperventilate! Not only is it important to get oxygen, it is equally important to get rid of carbon dioxide!

Answer 7

proper breathing is extremely important in running. improper breathing can disrupt the equilibrium of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body and cause cramps. here are some pointers:


try not to pant
breathe slowly
breathe in a tempo mode (keep it steady)
in through your mouth and out through you nose. This is uncomfortable at first but you'll get used to it.

Answer 8

Usually people breath through their mouth only but u actually should breath in through your nose and out from ur mouth

Answer 9

Like others have said, in through the nose and out through the mouth is the preferred method. Never really worked for me though. I always had sinus trouble in my adolescent and teen years, after about a mile I was always huffing and puffing through my mouth.

Answer 10

When you breathe in, your stomach should move out, and when you breathe in, your stomach should shrink inward. And while running, you should breathe with your mouth closed.

I know this sounds dumb and obvious, but alot of people don't breathe properly. When you breathe this way, you use your diaphram more efficiently, and get more out of your breaths.