Feeling Breathless

[lesley1663]

Tomorrow will be my second day of week 9, sometimes on my run I struggle with my breathing, someone suggested breathe in through the nose out by the mouth, but I feel that I'm not getting enough air to breathe and feel panicked, so I breathe through my mouth heavily. Any suggestions on how to improve my breathing? Does running ever get easier?

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Breathing is tricky but perhaps run more slowly. You should run at a speed at which you could hold a conversation if someone was running alongside you. Getting a steady comfortable pace will allow you to increase run times through the programme. Running fast isn't required, doing the time is all you need to focus on. Believe me, speed can naturally grow once your fitness improves and have graduated, right now the challenge is to keep up with increasing time running, best way to do that is to slow down a little. I breathe through my mouth too most of the time, lots of flies right now but I am still alive and graduated

[davelinks Graduate]

No, just breathe how you feel natural for you, have the mouth open if you want. Having mouth open is nothing to do much with speed! breathing will eventually become natural before you know it, and as you get more used to it try and be mindful and try closing your mouth just a tad and take some through the nose, as summers coming along you don't want too many fly's & bugs flying into your cakehole(mouth)😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to davelinks]

Telling it like it is, you wonderful man...I love it!!!!

[Potty Graduate]

Hi, first, congratulations on coming so far, nearly there now! Second, I graduated last March and still breathe through my mouth - I've never mastered 'in through the nose out through the mouth' but breathing definitely does come easier. Sounds like you're probably running a bit too fast for now if you're breathing is an issue. I'm only ever really aware of mine if I'm running for time these days. Yesterday's parkrun was the first 'for time' run I'd done since I started marathon training in December and I was very aware of my breathing- it was still regular though, so I'd agree with Joolie and Dave above, take it a little easier for now and let your speed build gradually once you've graduated

[heavyhorse Graduate]

echo the take it easy comments, and I mouth breath too, although I consciously counted breathing in and out for 3 or 4 counts each earlier on and my breathing mostly sorted itself out after I did that for a few runs.

[SolNaveen Graduate]

It always takes me a good 5 to 10 mins till my breathing settles and I get into a rhythm. I'm trying to do some interval training to help with that.

[Nick_Buddha_12 Graduate]

I found if I stopped thinking about it it righted itself. Slowing down and telling my mind not to panic al.so helped

[Traceyanne83 Graduate]

Hi, well done

I have not long graduated too, and I've found with the breathing - along with everything else you're teaching your body to do on the 5k programme (Landing on the right part of your foot, not being too "bouncy", moving arms infront/behind rather then side to side) the more you do it the easier it will get and things just start coming naturally.

I have found that taking lots of rhythmic deep breathes whether through nose or mouth helps a lot. I found it easier on the last run I did to breathe in through my nose out through mouth. It will come, slow it down.

[Bundoodle Graduate]

I breathe through my mouth and it works for me. I tried breathing through my nose and, like you, it made me feel panicky and extremely uncomfortable. Running should be a pretty natural thing for us humans (we have been doing it since we first stood up), so if it feels natural to breath through your mouth you go right ahead! I have also found that the less I think about breathing the easier it is to do. I am just off out to conquer W7R1(well that's my plan....) Good luck!

[Hidden]

No I can't "nose breathe" at the best of times but particularly difficult at this time of year cos of hay fever. As has already been suggested, just forget it. I found the more I tried to conform to nose breathing the more stressed I became and the enjoyment level dropped sharply. Just let it go "au naturelle" and your body will sort itself out; it'll sure as heck make sure there's enough oxygen getting in there one way or the other.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

As long as you breathe.. that is the most important thing!

Find what feels right for you and I agree with JoolieB1 , maybe slow down a tad.

You are so nearly there... chill out, take it steady and cruise gracefully towards Graduation

[davelinks Graduate]

I had my gob open a lot when doing c25k,(no cheeky remarks pops!😊) looked like a basking shark! lol, but has improved greatly since then..😁