New to this and looking for tips on breathing

[Nalashera74]

I'm on w6 and have done r2 today, enjoying the sense of achievement so far but need to work on my breathing technique any tips you can offer would be great.

[Sweatyfaced Graduate]

Have you tried counting? Try one breath in per four steps, one breath out per four steps: if you can keep that up, great. If you can't, reduce steps to three or two.

The key is slow and steady, trying to keep it regular. Ideally you would breath in through your nose and out through your mouth as it helps with hydration but I must admit I can't do this!

And you'll be amazed, once you've cracked it, you will not even notice it anymore! Best of luck!

[Nalashera74 in reply to Sweatyfaced]

Thanks for advice, I shall give it a go on my next run 👍

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Sweatyfaced]

I am sorry Sweatyfaced, but your advice, while it may be a reiteration of advice on the podcasts, is not the advice that you will find across the running world.

The counting technique is fine, but most new runners, me included, could not cope with this as well as running. I did, as most do, just carried on breathing as I always have, which meant I relaxed, which is more important. If you can't breathe easily then you are running unsustainably fast, so slow down.

Breathing through your nose, again, may be an ideal but when running you need maximum airflow which can only be effected through the mouth when running, as opposed to gentle jogging.

This article theguardian.com/lifeandstyl... gives an outline and ultimately says do what comes naturally.

After four years my breathing has evolved to almost match the podcast suggestions, bar the nose breathing.

Relax, do what comes naturally and run at a sustainable pace.

[Sweatyfaced Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Ooops, sorry. It worked for me!

[Razouski]

On one of the podcasts Laura suggests breathing in and counting your steps as you breathe out. I couldn't cope with it at all, and had a dreadful running trying to do it right. I then decided I would just breathe regularly, and my breathing seemed to fall into place. I also found it really hard to breathe in through my nose, so all my breathing is through my mouth. This has its downsides: in summer I have had the occasionally flying creature in my mouth (and even swallowed one or two); and in winter it gets really chilly in my mouth and I can't wear a buff.

However, since I've been running I haven't had to use my asthma inhaler, so it can't be too bad for me. Good luck in finding what works for you.

[Nalashera74]

i think I'm a mouth breather too, no good when I breath in through my nose, hopefully with the advice I can try a few techniques and find out which one works best. Thanks much appreciated 😀

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate in reply to Nalashera74]

Just breathe as best you can and it will settle in a few more runs... when I felt really puffed and tight in the chest l would exhale a couple of long breaths and this calmed things down a bit...just blow out a couple of long breaths.

When you run...head up, shoulders down and relaxed to open up your chest, hands unclenched. Nice and steady.😊

[Hidden]

i really struggled with my breathing in first few weeks. tried some of the tips and struggled more. then about 5 or 6 runs ago i realised i wasn't thinking about my breathing at all and just running! i am about to start week 9! someone on here said that it takes time to get a runners body and i am finding this, things seem to be settling down, i have even got to feel that i am in flow sometimes! i still want to be able to do a run and feel like i could run more without counting down how many minutes left of endurance! i trust this will come. keep at it, slow and steady, it's not a competition.

[Nalashera74 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that. It does seem easier to breathe when I'm not concentrating on it. Looking forward to having a runners body🏃

[Sweatyfaced Graduate in reply to Nalashera74]

Yeah, sorry if i made it worse. It does sonehow disappear as a concern at some point so just look forward to then!

[Nalashera74]

Finished w6 yesterday YAY!!! Just went with the flow with my breathing and seemed to settle down 5/10 minutes. Just pleased to have finished the week when I've never run for a bus before let alone for pleasure.