It hurts right here

When running track we were taught to inhale with our nose and exhale through our mouth... when this doesn't work for me I inhale through my teeth.... the point is to prevent gulping and swallowing air which creates cramps... also in weight & calesthenics we were taught to exhale when resisting and inhale when relaxing... reason inhaling works your lung muscles & is more of a stress than exhaling... so to balance things you want to make your lungs work hard when your muscles relax, and let your lungs relax when your muscles work hard. tai chi/chi gong teaches controlled breathing before exercising... inhale 100% exhale 100% then inhale 100% exhale 90% inhale & exhale 100% then inhale 100% exhale 80% and continue...alternating full breathing with the percents using 20% or 10% decending. This makes you aware of how you breath. When you find your self gulping in 100% but only exhaling 10% when you are doing high intensity... it might help you to notice so you exhale more. Also in tai chi/chi gong, I have found that when I exhale during pushing or balancing moves my strength holds power. I think it really is about that balance thing. Rhythm creates balanced measures too. Even with high intensity fast work outs you can create a rhythm to it. I don't get side stitches, so I thought these breathing tips might help you, they should enhance your workouts anyway.