Breathing while running - newbie

If there was a "like" button, I'd so like this...I am a new runner, too...and I can't find the right breathing technique at all.

First off congrats for starting to run. Very proud of you. Here's the thing. Breathing to me is the hardest thing to get past. I've been running since 07 and to this day it's a struggle with the breathing aspect. You will find your happy medium and when you do the rest will fall into place. I am usually at least into the run 1 1/2 miles until it levels out. The best way for me was breathing in hard thru the mouth, the a long exhale out thru the mouth. Kind of like when you do a pilates class. I will be honest, running is easy, but getting your breathing down is a lot harder than it looks. Keep with it and you will prevail. I promise!

The whole "in through your nose" thing is a runner's old wives tale. Breathe through whatever hole in your body works!

Just get air, though if you are struggling to get wind, you are going waaaay too fast! At this level, if you can't carry on a conversation, your pace is ahead of your endurance/level. 99.9999% of your runs should be done at a slow easy pace. Get time and miles on your feet. Speed comes later.

I found out that after a while of jogging you naturally begin to breathe to a rhythem. I couldnt breathe at all at first when I started jogging at 320lbs... the more I ran the easier it got and the speedier as well... I ended up hooking up an Ipod and doing my thing 3-4 nights a week... Currently I do around 3-4 miles 3-4 times a week when possible.... I am knocking out my 3 miles in 22:10 - at a comortable pace for me but still pushing myself to a small extent. (even 2-3 extra strides a minute add up over 3 miles) .... I can knock down my 1.5 Mile run in 10:07 - not stellar but good enough for the military.

The old addage of breathing in your nose doesn't work for me... my body requires air... my mouth takes in more air than my nose... however - the idea behind it was to naturally slow down your breathing and take slow deep breathes instead of quick shallow breaths.

Hi Kitty,
keep it up, you will see, after a couple of weeks your stamina will improve, running will be fun and you will also feel comfortable with your breathing.
From your post it also sounds to me that you are trying to go too fast. Try reducing your pace. To get you into a rhythm try to breath in a three step rhythm - three steps for taking air in, three for out. That should work for the major part of your run, otherwise you are going too fast. A warning sign that you are going too fast could be that you are forced to breath through your mouth to get enough air - just slow it down and take it easy. It might also help in the beginning to choose a super flat running track, since all climbs ask for extra stamina that you don't have at the moment. And you could also try to run without music - it helps to keep your pace slow.
Good luck!!!!

I use to run cross country in high school and I think the key to preventing lung-and leg-fatigue is breathing more fully. When you take deeper breaths, you use more air sacs in your lungs, which allows you to take in more oxygen to feed your muscles.
One way to make the switch easier is to work on belly breathing when you're not running, and the skill will eventually carry over to your running.

70 days ago I was a 2 pack a day smoker, after 6 weeks of quitting I joined a gym and started to use the treadmill, my breathing consists of getting as much air in and then getting rid of it so I have room for more incoming. Maybe there is a correct way to breath when running but I prefer to concentrate on making the next stride. I'm not a fast treadmill runner but I can now do 12kms in a one hour session at a steady pace, but I prefer to do 30 min sessions and mix it up, steady pace with some fast parts, or set the treadmill up to do hill work.

If I'm still breathing at the end of my session then I did the breathing part right, if not I'm not here to write about it

I've been jogging for 2 years now and am a very noisey runner. I am loud when breathing but don't care.

Best advise I can give is relax your jaw and breathe thu your mouth and where ever else the air will go in.

I do class myself as a runner now as I read the following in my Womens Running Magazine.

'You can tell your a runner when you see someone out running and wish you we out running too.'

So true I think.

Like everyone else is saying.. just breathe. However, I have noticed that I tend to take really shallow breaths when I'm running so occasionally I try to remind myself to take a few giant ones. Get that air in there! You'll get used to it and congrats on starting C25K! You're gonna love it!

I started running in August but properly in September. I had never run before, but I have found the more I think about breathing, the harder it is. As soon as I listened to music, and tuned into that and my route, rather than my breathing, it came naturally. I do breathe heavier towards the more tired I am, but I think thats natural?

Well done for starting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have found I do.

I use to run cross country in high school and I think the key to preventing lung-and leg-fatigue is breathing more fully. When you take deeper breaths, you use more air sacs in your lungs, which allows you to take in more oxygen to feed your muscles.
One way to make the switch easier is to work on belly breathing when you're not running, and the skill will eventually carry over to your running.

This!

When I started running I would even practice belly breathing while watching TV! By moving your belly, rather than ribcage, out when breathing you really pull the diaphragm down, getting plenty of oxygen into your lungs. Yoga exercises are good for learning this, if you have a chance.

I prefer to breathe through my mouth - only got a little nose and can get more air in through my mouth (which, some people would say, is too big!).

I also time my breathing when running - so try taking long, slow, steady, deep belly breaths rather than short gasps from your upper chest (so easy to do when feeling out of breath and exhausted). I usually do a count of five for each breath in and out.

And... when I started running I was constantly gasping for breath and thought I would never get to grips with it. But I have - and so will you. It's perfectly normal to be struggling a bit at first - you're learning a new skill and once you've got it you will have it for life. Not to mention your heart and lungs will adapt and get stronger, so helping your breathing.

If I think about my breathing, it gets all kind of messed up.

What works for me is to run at a pace that slow and controlled enough that I could mouth the words to whatever music I'm listening to.

Lip readers would have a field day with me.

Forgot to say - heavy breathing through my mouth also warns people strolling along in the park where I run that I am coming up behind them and going to overtake them (verrrrryyyy slowly as I shuffle past!)

I did Track/CC in High School with asthma I didn't know I had until college, so I know breathing sucks.

I usually go with music or only as fast as I can get oxygen in.

As far as a trick to use is 1-3 quick breaths in to fully expand your lungs then a slower controlled breath out to keep breathing from getting too sporadic or wheezy.

Congratulations on starting C25K!

My suggestion for you is to slow down, and run conscientiously while breathing ... take into account how you're breathing as you're taking each step and go at a nice easy pace to start. You don't want to push yourself where it feels like its too difficult to breathe, but you want to feel like you need to "catch" it. In time, your body will get used to it and you'll be able to regulate your breathing better as you train. Good luck!