Hiya. Apologies for asking this, but I’m running three times (short and fast, easy and 5k then a longer weekend run). Anyway, my short run I use the speed podcast where Laura tells me to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
I find this almost impossible to do as my nose runs as much as I do when out and exercising.
Apart from blowing constantly, is it going to make much difference if I just breathe in and out from my mouth? Or does anyone have any canny solutions for the snoz???
Cheers
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Trying2run
Graduate10
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Breathing is very important make sure you keep it up! - Since you cant breath through your nose I suggest using your mouth. The alternative would be disastrous.
There are a couple of "contentious" bits of advice on the c25k podcast. Breathing in through your nose and out of your mouth is one and if it suits you then do it, from previous posts I don't think many do. Basically, relax and let your breathing take care of itself in a way that suits your body. I can only nose breathe when going reeeaallly slowly.
The other piece of advice is to heel strike which again, if that's your style ok but no need to change to it, just do what feels right.
Oh, and runny noses? I always thought that was what gloves/sleeves are for 😄. If you want to blow your nose, I've heard kitchen roll is better than tissues as it's stronger - but obviously not as soft.
Don't do it then. I don't mean stop breathing, just maybe not so much through the nose..
Breathing through the nose takes the air/oxygen deeper into the lungs, but mouth breathing is by far the best way to breath while running, largely because it brings in more oxygen than breathing through the nose. It get's better: Forcing air through the nostrils can tighten your jaw and other facial muscles, and tension is never good for running.
I have tried and tried to breathe 'properly' i.e. in through the nose and out through the mouth and just end up gasping for breath. I have asthma and this is therefore not a good thing. I reckon that my body has been breathing quite well on its own for 50+ years so I'll just let it carry on doing its thing
My nose runs too. I now safety-pin a hanky to the inside of the neck of my top. I usually wear a buff round my wrist for drips but in the winter I usually need to blow my nose properly and if I run with tissues they get soggy (sweaty runner), and I tend to lose both those and the hanky if it's not firmly attached.
What an attractive picture I'm painting
Oh - edited to add that IdaT's point about taking a full breath is very helpful. Every so often blow all your breath out, wait for a couple of seconds and breath in from your belly, not your chest. Particularly helpful if you're panting for breath.
I’m asthmatic too. I read the two article recommended above and both talk about the diaphragmatic breathing I was taught by doctors after an asthma attack years ago.
I think I’m going to stop worrying about it. It seems fine.
Like some of the others, I find breathing through my nose during a run difficult. I cant breathe deeply enough to get enough oxygen! I naturally want to breathe through my mouth. Need to be careful when the flies and insects start flying around though!! Funnily enough nostril breathing is easy while practising yoga. Cant scientifically work that out😂 but volume and respiration rate must come in to it. Do what comes naturally is my motto!
If I tried breathing in through my nose & out of my mouth I would surely collapse because there is NO WAY i can get enough oxygen into my lungs through my nose...the only time my breathing changes is when I run passed a dog poo bin or someone having a fag and I stop!!! Just enjoy your runs & breathe how it comes naturally is what I’d say 😉
I echo what Mummycav says. I dont even know how I breathe when running - I think it’s through my mouth. I dont even think about it. I know that when I was cycling regularly, fast, up and downhill, I found it most natural to mouth breathe.
I didn’t think about it at all until listening to Laura in the speed podcast. I’m going to ignore her now ha ha
Didnt Laura also tell people to heel strike (land on your heels) - I dont know, because I had sexy Michael Johnson, but heel striking isnt a good idea.
Nose breathing is indeed very difficult for all kinds of reasons - but the bottom line of the recommendation is to try to slow down breathing at exactly the time when we feel like we need to breath rapidly. What happens in a hospital when someone has a panic attack???? They make the patient breath into and out of a brown paper bag!! This is to limit the amount of oxygen intake at a time when the brain is saying "MORE OXYGEN!!!!!" MORE OXYGEN!!" Same thing goes for running. We need to train ourselves to breathe more slowly at the same time as our muscles are demanding more oxygen. The lungs really do already have all the oxygen that is needed- what is happening is that this oxygen is not getting to the muscles where it is needed, the muscles are screaming out for more, the brain is panicking and telling the lungs and heart to work harder !! - when the answer really is "EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!! " Lots of running - both fast, slow short and long is required to get to this calm stage.
I use breathing as a way of telling how fast I'm going. If I can breathe through my nose it is an acceptable training pace, but there's no way the nose breathing will cut it if I'm making a real effort to go fast! I'd pass out before I reached the finish line 😅 I do try the alternating between leading foot and non leading foot thing but only when I remember. Which isn't often. I generally figure that breathing is one of those things that happens naturally, the more I think about it the more I seem to bodge it up. My solution for nose emissions is a wristband. Good for brow sweat, snot and all sorts. Sometimes all at once because heck running is anything but glamorous.
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Breathing from mouth?
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