BREATHE!!!

[Sofabeardave1969]

Graduated but still can't get my breathing right, the more I think about it the harder it gets to breathe!! Any tips anyone??

[ju-ju- Graduate]

As an asthmatic it is something I struggle with.... the best tips I have learnt over the years are to stay calm and relax. If breathing gets laboured SLOW down, focus and visualise a soothing place. You will find you naturally speed up when you relax and your breathing will be easier.

[Sofabeardave1969 Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks ju-ju- I will give it a go!!

[sheps Graduate]

In.... and out.... don't stop.

That's only partly me being silly. It is important to not think about it. I've seen it said here that if you are panting, slow down your pace . When I tried following the podcast advice to breathe with every fourth step, I nearly collapsed from lack of oxygen. I just let it settle to its own rate and try not to think.

[Hidden in reply to sheps]

I'm with sheps here, the counting thing totally freaked me out. It does come with time and improves with your overall fitness

[Wizziewood]

Well done for graduating ... you're a real runner! Congratulations!

About the breathing, don't worry about it, particularly when you're running.

When you're relaxing watching TV or laying in bed before you go to sleep try focusing on your breathing. Breathe in for the count of four and out for the count of four at a speed that's comfortable for you. Practice this regularly and it will gradually become the norm and in time will come naturally in your running.

But, to repeat myself, do not worry.

Good luck and happy running!

[Sofabeardave1969 Graduate in reply to Wizziewood]

Great advice, thank you 👍

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As long as you don't have an underlying medical problem, then it is dead easy to breathe when running at a sustainable pace, without thinking about it. If you are having trouble, you are running at an unsustainable pace, so slow down. You will enjoy your running much more if not gasping and over time that sustainable pace will get faster.

[Sofabeardave1969 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks for the advice👍

[Mimirossi Graduate]

Hi Sofabeardave1969 . I have only just finished week 5, so definitely not an expert, but I am asthmatic, so breathing can be an issue for me. Over the programme I have gone from worrying about counting my breaths to my paces and consequently panicking and gasping for air, to trying not to consciously control my breathing. For me the latter has definitely worked. I just let my body sort out the breathing and observe from time to time the different rhythms that happen. Since I have done that I have felt no air hunger at all. Good luck with finding the answer that is right for you!

[Sofabeardave1969 Graduate in reply to Mimirossi]

Good advice, thanks🙏🏻

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Mimirossi]

So you have discovered "rythmic breathing" by the sound of it. Some people take to dancing more than others - but everybody can dance if they put their minds to it - as everybody can also run and breath with practice.

[Rignold]

If it gets harder the more you think about it, stop thinking about it.

Presumably you manage to breathe during all the time you are not running? Just acrry on doing it like that.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Hmm - if I walk slowly enough, I can do a number of things while I am walking. I can read a book, or drink a beer, take a picture, talk to myself ( one of the only ways I can get an intelligent conversation) -- and breathe. However - as the pace heats up, I have to drop some of these things off and i have to concentrate just that little bit more on just how efficiently I am doing them. At the finish of a very fast ( for me) parkrun, I can no longer drink the beer , or doing anything else really , except run and breath. And I have found that I had better concentrate on that breathing quite a lot. Sorry - but DON'T just breath "naturally". As a new runner, your "natural" is most probably very inefficient and your breathing ability has probably been developed over a lifetime of watching TV and maybe drinking beer. We run because we can - not because we know how to. Running is a skill like many other physical skills - I am a lousy darts player and possibly/probably could not improve even with hours and hours of practice. But please don't just tell me to just "do it naturally" if I ever ask for advice on how to improve.