Breathing

[mcgurranhouse]

Can anyone give me advice on breathing while running. My husband and I have been using the app but there are a couple of hills in the park that we go to and I end up sounding like I smoke 50 a day when I am running. Any advice as I am sure I am doing something wrong?

[Rignold]

You are running too fast. Slow down.

[Dunder2004 Graduate]

What Rignold said. If you are out of breath, you are going too fast.

The trouble with running together with someone is that you both have to find a pace which is comfortable for both and that might not be the easiest thing.

[amyukulele Graduate]

I have had asthma since I was a kid, and I never thought I'd become a runner! But I have just made it through week 4 of the podcast, so I thought I'd share what I do to keep my lungs working.

- I always take my inhaler before I go out - since I have exercise induced asthma. And I always bring it with me on a run. (If you have trouble breathing while running, you might want to ask your GP about exercise induced asthma.)

- I always drink a glass of water before I go out for a run.

- I don't run on high pollution days, or when I can see bits of pollen in the air, because I know these are triggers for my asthma.

- I avoid running on busy roads or bus routes, anywhere cars are sitting in traffics with their exhaust pipes spewing.

- I slow down if I start wheezing.

- I try to breathe in rhythm with my steps. Usually it's 3 steps in, 3 steps out, but sometimes it 2 steps in, 2 steps out.

- I make an E shape with my lips when breathing in, and an O shape when breathing out, to help keep the breath steady and controlled.

- I breathe low into my abdomen, letting the lungs expand downward instead of breathing high up in my chest. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaph...

Hope that helps!

[mcgurranhouse Graduate in reply to amyukulele]

Thanks for the advice Amy. I will try this tonight - w5 r2!!!!!

[Peter_B Graduate]

As Rignold says, slow down a bit.

Other than that - don't worry about breathing a specific way. Just breathe how you need to.

In direct opposition to what I just said, you could have a practice at breathing with your belly - push your belly out as you breathe in and pull it in as you breathe out - and not raising/lowering your chest and shoulders.

[Steve_L Graduate]

I think it helps to get a synchronised rhythm going, so your breathing is in time with your feet. It helps me a lot.

[millwalki8 Graduate]

As rignold said, I think you are pushing a bit hard, I run balls out for the last 0.5K of mine before a little resting walk, I only get really out of breath during this bit.

[useitorloseit Graduate]

I only have trouble breathing when I think about it. When I just breathe without noticing it's ok. Does that make sense?! Put some earphones with loud music on, then you won't be able to hear it!

[Hopefull-runner Graduate]

Hello. I hate hills with a passion and do find them tough and up until today I have tried to avoid having to run up any (timed it so hill coincided with walk/recovery). I also have other tactics like running side to side rather than straight up, taking very small steps, backtracking back down the hill a bit to recover and so on - I did say I hate hills lol. I would also agree with the others above about running at your own pace and not trying to match your partner. However, I am pleased to report that on today's run ,(W6R3) Its a 25 min run so had to face hill which I did, telling myself that if I had to walk I would and hopefully be able to do it next time but I am pleased to say, taking it at a steady pace I made it to the top, but I was soooooo glad the last 5 mins was downhill. Good luck and I hope you find the way forward..... or in your case upward lol

[Coddfish Graduate]

The 'right' pace is where you can hold a conversation - but probably couldn't put on a decent singing performance. If you have to slow down, even walk the hills, to control your breathing, that's ok. If you have to think about it, you are probably going too fast. Perhaps ask your husband to run behind you, as he is probably inadvertently pushing you to go too fast, he probably has longer legs than you. When I go walking with my husband I have to do about 5 or 6 steps to every 4 that he does, I don't dare run with him.