Running and breathing

yirara

Hey you runners out there: how do you breathe while running? I seem to be a rhythm girl and can only breathe following my steps, e.g. 3 steps in, 3 steps out. I cannot breathe out of step. Which gets annoying if I run a bit faster and find I'm getting a bit too out of breath for 3/3, but 2/2 is too fast. And thus I run faster to continue doing 3/3, which obviously doesn't work. I also have to avoid hyperventilating, which might happen if I run too fast. So how do you do this?

MaltedTea

Ah, other than fiber, this may be one of my favorite reflections: breathing.

Seriously, breathing in certain ways can be a pain control method, a cardiovascular modulator for yourself (as well as others if there's skin-to-skin contact), etc. The body's poetry is in our breath.

That's just me. What will work for you? 🤷🏿‍♀️

Out of curiosity and the search for some semblance of objectivity, I did a search on Google Scholar for journal articles since 2011 on...

breathing running

...no quotations. The first entry wasn't a journal but a Runner's World publication from 2013. There's other interesting stuff from the results though, including triathletes, the use of treadmills and the effect of pollution on runners.

I run with music/BPM but I let my breath go naturally unless I'm needing to reduce my heart rate (like before slogging up a steep hill). If that's the case, it still depends on the terrain, the temperature, my level of fatigue, etc.

yirara

Ha, fab answer. Thanks a lot MaltedTea! I never run with music because it would completely mess with either my breathing or my running, or both. I'm super clumsy, and I also seem to breath in a certain rhythm when I'm walking. I also always count steps on stairs even though I know the one up to my apartment is 2x 19 steps, and it was 15 and 18 steps in a previous flat, and 14 and 15 before, etc...

Lietchi

I have some issues finding my own breathing rhythm, it seems to vary during my runs and it will also depend on how fast I'm running.
But have you tried an 'asymmetric' rhythm? By that I mean: not the same number of breaths in and out. For example 3 in 2 out?

yirara

Lietchi wrote: »

I have some issues finding my own breathing rhythm, it seems to vary during my runs and it will also depend on how fast I'm running.
But have you tried an 'asymmetric' rhythm? By that I mean: not the same number of breaths in and out. For example 3 in 2 out?

I've had success with that in the past, but have not really managed it this time around. I'll continue trying it as it would probably give me more variation between too fast and too slow. Thanks a lot

briscogun

I've heard every 4 steps is a goal?

I find that if I'm thinking about my breathing its probably because I'm struggling and my run isn't going well. If I'm not thinking about it then it's probably going ok.

EDIT: Here's an article from Runner's World last year-
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20822091/running-on-air-breathing-technique/

yirara

briscogun wrote: »

I've heard every 4 steps is a goal?

I find that if I'm thinking about my breathing its probably because I'm struggling and my run isn't going well. If I'm not thinking about it then it's probably going ok.

EDIT: Here's an article from Runner's World last year-
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20822091/running-on-air-breathing-technique/

Thanks a lot. If I don't think about it I fall into a very strange breathing rhythm (still based on steps), which edges on hyperventilation - which is something I need to avoid for medical reasons. Interesting article. Cool.

heybales

I'll slip into asymmetric too when the workload goes up - faster or hill.

Usually seems like you can breath in faster than out, and it's the CO2 levels in blood that start tripping some reactions. So to get full expulsion on lungs is very good.

So I like going to 2 in / 3 out, or 1/2.

And I naturally hit steps too, but I keep my turnover about the same whether slow or fast.
I even do it on the bike though not as bad, mainly when going up. Same 90 cadence, same 2/3 or 1/2.

yirara

heybales wrote: »

I'll slip into asymmetric too when the workload goes up - faster or hill.

Usually seems like you can breath in faster than out, and it's the CO2 levels in blood that start tripping some reactions. So to get full expulsion on lungs is very good.

So I like going to 2 in / 3 out, or 1/2.

And I naturally hit steps too, but I keep my turnover about the same whether slow or fast.
I even do it on the bike though not as bad, mainly when going up. Same 90 cadence, same 2/3 or 1/2.

Thanks, I will try that. My problem is a bit annoying: my blood pressure drops when I run and my brain seems to give a signal to my lungs that more air is needed. Which tips me into hyperventilation. My GP thinks it's something along the dysautonomia spectrum (my hr drops a bit as well when my bloodpressure crashes and only comes up when I stop with what I'm doing), but corona lockdown...

spiriteagle99

I find that when I concentrate on my breathing, I can't find a rhythm. I end up gasping for breath instead of breathing naturally. I do much better by not thinking about it at all.

I have issues with hyperventilation when I overheat. Only at the end of a run for some reason and only when it warms up.

ritzvin

heybales wrote: »

I'll slip into asymmetric too when the workload goes up - faster or hill.

Usually seems like you can breath in faster than out, and it's the CO2 levels in blood that start tripping some reactions. So to get full expulsion on lungs is very good.

So I like going to 2 in / 3 out, or 1/2.

And I naturally hit steps too, but I keep my turnover about the same whether slow or fast.
I even do it on the bike though not as bad, mainly when going up. Same 90 cadence, same 2/3 or 1/2.

ditto. My breath out is normally more counts than in.

~

On music: there are some playlists (various genres) on stuff like Spotify for music fitting a specific bpm range.

cmriverside

I'm with heybales - concentrate on the full expulsion of the breath and then a pause before the next breath. It's definitely about the CO2 for me.

yirara

cmriverside wrote: »

I'm with heybales - concentrate on the full expulsion of the breath and then a pause before the next breath. It's definitely about the CO2 for me.

I can ignore CO2 rather well. Hey, I spent the summers of my childhood at the bottom of my local pool, playing astronaut or just sitting about When I go snorkeling and see something interesting under water I can still dive for about 2-3 minutes without really preparing for it. Last summer I was following, and trying to take photos of huge sea turtles

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I started running only 4 years ago. The more you run the more you develop your own natural rhythm. I used to think about my breathing all the time, now I almost never do. Also, as @briscogun notes, you have to avoid getting tense and keep a relaxed attitude toward it or you can hyperventilate.

One thing I didn't appreciate until more recently was that your cadence is something you can vary without varying your speed. Most people breath with their cadence, so, if you need to breath more, shorten your stride and raise your cadence. Breathing less should never be a problem, you just breath a bit less deeply as needed.

yirara

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I started running only 4 years ago. The more you run the more you develop your own natural rhythm. I used to think about my breathing all the time, now I almost never do. Also, as @briscogun notes, you have to avoid getting tense and keep a relaxed attitude toward it or you can hyperventilate.

One thing I didn't appreciate until more recently was that your cadence is something you can vary without varying your speed. Most people breath with their cadence, so, if you need to breath more, shorten your stride and raise your cadence. Breathing less should never be a problem, you just breath a bit less deeply as needed.

I've been running on and off since 2014 and never managed to sort out my breathing properly to be honest. If I don't pay attention to it my breathing quickly turns into a puffpuffpuff, huffhuffhuff kind of rhythm just from my steps. But pressing air in/out three times during one in/exhale is rather counterproductive. yet it always happens if I don't constantly correct. Mind you, I lived in the UK for a few years and hated all the music coming from shops, people out and about etc as I'd subconsciously adjusted my walking and breathing to it. I hate rhythms because I pick up every rhythm there is

RunnerGirl238

I’m not sure. I’m going to have analyze it. I do know that including more thoughtful, breath focused yoga practiced has enhanced my running 10 fold. Probably due to breathing.

It’s funny cause I was a swimmer before a runner and our goal was always for reduce coming up for air (for free style which was my strong stroke).

Holly92154

I breath exactly the same as when walking and running. Spending time training in your aerobic zones 1-3 is a great way to build your base. Once a week I do an Interval that pushes me into the zones 4 & 5. I started with singing songs. I belt them out as loud as I please and try to sing as much of the song as possible. Over time, I went from gasping sounds of dying to almost finishing a whole song lol

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I wanted to chime in again about rhythm/cadence.

First, I never listen to music when I run because it influences my natural cadence. Podcasts are fine. Pandemic news seems to make me run faster! But, I'm fastest overall if I just pay full attention to my running. (I tend to get a bit bored on longer runs, which are slower anyway. In general, I only like to run with my AfterShokz bone conduction headphones, which leave the ear unobstructed.)

Second, I find that I will breath in sync with my stride when running at a constant pace on flat ground. When I encounter a hill or do a sprint, I will breath asynchronously with my stride. It took a while to get used to it, but it's a useful skill!

yirara

Cool, thanks a lot for your insight! I never run with any entertainment. Actually, I don't even have any headphones that I could wear for running. I might calculate odd things in my head though. But yeah, I mostly concentrate on my running, on the traffic and everything around me. My 'i don't want to think of a route' 5k route goes past a couple of take aways with home delivery in one street, lots of streets to cross, a supermarket and other things. Especially with distancing I'm really focussing on what goes on around me.

goatg

Don’t count your steps.

ritzvin

goatg wrote: »

Don’t count your steps.

I laughed when I read this. I compete at orienteering, so I literally do often count steps while trail (and off-trail) running. (1 stride ~ 1 meter, give or take).

dmkoenig

I personally don't see any relationship between steps, stride and breathing. I just try to keep a relaxed controlled approach to breathing, sufficiently deep without holding my breath in too long. Workout intensity is a big factor in how fast you need to breath, and your step count/minute may not vary much with widely different intensity levels which can be brought on by your fitness level, speed, incline, even the surface you are running on. Altitude can also play a factor if you work out in higher altitude locations, so there isn't a good way to equate your breathing requirements with the number of steps you take.

Machka9

Oddly enough, I just breathe when I run.
I don't count steps.
I don't try to force my breathing into some sort of rhythm.

The only time I even notice my breathing is if I start to struggle to breathe which is a sign that I need to slow down a tad or if I'm running up a hill which is a sign I need to focus on the exhale.

I have EIA and I'm more of a cyclist than a runner. In cycling, I've learned to focus on the exhale on hills in order to ward off the effects of EIA ... and I use the same technique when running.

Recently, I've learned that I have a badly deviated septum and enlarged tubinates. I'll be going for surgery soon, but we suspect that this might be a reason I feel like I am breathing through a straw as I near the tops of hills. So perhaps once I've recovered, maybe my techniques might change.

sgt1372

Just another thought . . . has anyone tried exercising w/one of those plastic face shields on?

I think the shields are more for the purpose of protecting the wearer (mainly medical staff) from breathing in infectious droplets (or having them reach your face) than the masks are but, if you can't/don't want to wear a mask because it interferes w/your breathing while running/jogging or whatever, if you wear a shield, it will at least give the "message" that you "care" about whether you may spread the disease (whether you actually are doing that or not isn't the issue) and it "may" actually prevent infectious droplets spread by others hitting your face and thereby infect you.

While you shouldn't have any problem breathing while wearing a shield, I'm guessing that it would be a hassle to keep the shield in place while running/jogging (but not walking) because of the head movement that would jostle the shield and because of sweat which would also affect the fit/feel of the shield and the shield would probably fog up w/the heat/sweat given off while exercising.

So, there is no perfect "solution" to this problem.

yirara

sgt1372 wrote: »

Just another thought . . . has anyone tried exercising w/one of those plastic face shields on?

I think the shields are more for the purpose of protecting the wearer (mainly medical staff) from breathing in infectious droplets (or having them reach your face) than the masks are but, if you can't/don't want to wear a mask because it interferes w/your breathing while running/jogging or whatever, if you wear a shield, it will at least give the "message" that you "care" about whether you may spread the disease (whether you actually are doing that or not isn't the issue) and it "may" actually prevent infectious droplets spread by others hitting your face and thereby infect you.

While you shouldn't have any problem breathing while wearing a shield, I'm guessing that it would be a hassle to keep the shield in place while running/jogging (but not walking) because of the head movement that would jostle the shield and because of sweat which would also affect the fit/feel of the shield and the shield would probably fog up w/the heat/sweat given off while exercising.

So, there is no perfect "solution" to this problem.

Likely! Mind you, a few years ago I went on a few jogs while on vacation in Iran. It was challenging to keep the headscarf more or less in place, and then my wider than normal pants started to slip as well...

Holly92154

JimDew wrote: »

I ran 6 miles today and thought about this post.

I couldn’t find any correlation between my breaths and my steps, although I expected to!

Footfalls never seemed to have any rhythm with the breathing.

I see I’m lots of help.

Hahaha I'm in the same boat. Last time I ran, I tried to keep track of my breaths but could find no pattern. 🤣