Breathing

[dindy]

Nothing to do today so decided to go through lost of posts on forum ,some going back 3 years. very interesting how some members have progressed and different tips.

I was reading about the Niko Niko slow jog which no doubt really works but looking near the end ( 4mins 37 Seconds) of video on how slow the girls were going I am afraid it is just too slow for me. I tried it and just could not get any rhythm but I bet you came get the mileage in with this method, if you got the time.

I came across Baz tips (bazza1234) for breathing which was 3 years ago and he was talking about forcing himself to do the 4 /4 method of breathing. I am sure he is still using this method but may be wrong. Curious of what the 4/4 method is I looked it up and I was gasping for breath just reading about it (-:

You slowly breath in from the stomach for 4 seconds,you hold your breath for 4 seconds. You then breath out for 4 seconds forcing every bit of air out of your diaphragm.Finally now you have no air left in you you do not breath in for another 4 seconds. This surely must a form of torture used by trainers. I tried it and instantly started to panic thinking I was going to keel over. This of course was done sitting in a chair what it must be like when you are jogging I have no idea.

Again no doubt it must work and I am sure bazza will be able to tell us if what I read is correct and the benefits.

[Tbae]

I read IannodaTruffes link on NikoNiko, and all the other methods it links to,cannot even remember all the interests about, blood pressure , age , oxygen intake , self assessment tests to predict where your niche running home would be best suited etc, yes one simple benefit is slow pace but continuous, run all day if stamina is not in question. I could not believe the science and links.

By the way a current elite marathon champion has used the technique with world class times and performances to prove it. So at this moment and being a novice , I would have to re-read Mentors link again.👍

Must read about bazza’ s method, but I do know if it is the belly breathing technique and just from reading it is easy.

If your abdominal muscles are weak to begin you have to lay on the floor,cushions supporting your neck and under both knees then do your exhaling and inhaling and your belly pumping action in time with your breathing.Then you can progress to the sitting position.

I personally have no such problem and have worked out a very natural way on a Rowing machine to practise it.Not anywhere near trying to run with it.But I will certainly try it out.Too many benefits not to.🤔

These are fascinating bolt on techniques, for some and with additional mind blowing benefits.

I do appreciate not maybe for all but I think NicoNico can be for everyone that wishes to pursue it.

I am not getting a promotional fee for this.🤔😂😂

Just passionate about the science and opportunities👍👏👏

[dindy Graduate in reply to Tbae]

That is a good tip about if stomach muscles are weak then to use pillows under neck & knees, that is something I will try. I suppose it is a matter of One mans meat is another mans poison. In other words what technique works for one individual to improve their running does not work for another. I know for a fact as I get tired I tend to lean forward like I am kissing the floor which I know is not good for breathing so have to work on that as well.

Same as podcasts with certain BPM like Podrunner which is very good & free. It has workout music mixes anything from 120 BPM to 185 BPM with dozens in between. They worked very well for me , once you have found your comfortable running pace and counted your BPM which is easy to do then you just played the correct tempo music to suit your pace and it was very easy to keep to that pace. The problem came when I wanted to either go faster or slower!!! I had a choice of choosing my pace,stop & load the appropiate tempo which was really a no go. The other alternative was to keep running with same tempo but at a different pace which really mucked you up. For one pace & one pace only they are great but no good for mixed pace.

Having said that he does varied tempo mixes say 120-130, 140 -180 and so on.They got one at 140- 145-150-155-160 which may be good for say speed training.Again all free so I may try some of those myself.

[Tbae in reply to dindy]

Hi Dindy, If you google Pranayama, belly breathing, you will see all the exercise illustrations on there that they teach in a yoga class ,it is their information.

I have bad posture and I have allowed my head to come forward over the years,plus I have pseudo gout and oa in the top C1&C2, two things that keeps me right,

I do everytime I exercise the 8 warm up exercises head to toe from the biggest loser programme.

C25k and Michael Johnson have sorted out my running posture and breathing, Shoulders down, chest open ,head up and still and looking forward , no tension face arms ,no clench fist.no tension.

I am not a techie , Stoneage techie dinasaur,but you must read Mentor' link sent yesterday on all the stuff you are talking about.I will come back to your final two paras, and respond, but read the Nico Nico there is even a simple arithmetic thing on age, blood pressure to set you into the proper appropriate enjoyable pace running, sustainable for hours and your stamina.Benefits listed as a reward.

Just read your techie stuff, not rocket science,when you read NicoNico it is just a more sructured and disciplined way of doing the above with all the supporting info to test yourself right at home.You do not to have to go to Japan.ha,ha.

hope this of interest.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

I just breathe Guess how???

Yeayayayay Steady and slow

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Everything about running is rhythmic - from the rhythmic beating of our heart to the rhythm of our feet on the ground - it is not unlike dancing. When dancing , our feet move to the beat of the music. If you try to dance a walz to the beat of a Foxtrot , you will quickly get discombobulated So it is quite logical for us to breathe rhythmically in time to the beat of our running. In fact I believe it is essential. When our bodies are under little stress - eg when sitting, standing, walking, even slow jogging , we don't need to think at all about our breathing - but as soon as we start to come under stress we need to take charge of our own breathing, else there will be trouble!! Rhythmic breathing ( whatever the rhythm count) is easy to do with a little practice and like most things runningwise is somewhat unique to each person. I use a rythmn of 4/4 for slow easy and long running - the moment that I feel that this is not providing me with enough oxygen, I know that I am running too hard for a slow easy run. 3/3 for me is my selection for steady and tempo runs right up to running 5K parkrun. My HR and breathing needs slowly increase over time and distance - so by the time I reach the 4K mark of parkrun I am having to reluctantly resort to changing down a cog to 2/2. Over the last few hundred metres of the 5k, I fully change into 2/2 and run as hard as I can for the remaining couple of minutes during which time my HR goes to almost maximum.

There is a lot to understand about breathing - for example it takes time for the oxygen in our longs to actually get into our blood to then be taken to our muscles for their use. If we breath too quickly this process is not efficient - so we really need to slow down our breathing and retain the air in our lungs for just a little while before exhaling just at the time when our muscles are screaming out to our brains for more energy. Running - like golf, dancing and darts is a skill which comes more naturally to some than to others . For those of us like me who are not naturally gifted with this skill need to study it and practice it to be able to do it as good as we can. The only time that running comes "naturally" to us is when we are very young children - after about 5 years of age with the almost compulsory wearing of shoes and sitting down for long periods of time, we forget how to do it and have to relearn the skill.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

"If we breath too quickly this process is not efficient - so we really need to slow down our breathing and retain the air in our lungs for just a little while before exhaling just at the time when our muscles are screaming out to our brains for more energy"

This is exactly what, as a mild asthmatic I try to do, both to avoid feeling asthmatic and to fend off stitches, and any sort of muscle cramps.

I'm finding it getting easier to achieve as I get fitter and become better at this running thing. 👍

[RainbowC Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

I’d absolutely agree that if you get used to breathing in time with your running, it’s a very reliable indicator of effort - which often relates to speed. For me, I know that every so often I have a run which feels really difficult and slow, and I just can’t breathe in my usual pattern but have to increase it. Without fail, when I get home and look at my tracker, it turns out I was going quicker than usual.

For me, I breathe in for four steps and out for three as my normal pattern. 3:3 if I’m going a bit quicker, and very occasionally 3:2 or even 2:2 if I’m pushing as hard as I can.

[dindy Graduate]

Very interesting advice & tips on breathing properly. I know some people just "breath" in a way that suits them which is fine. I found I was breathing from the chest and have read so many times it is wrong.I thought it was interesting that as you get more tired or go faster you change you breathing pattern from say 4/4 to 3/3 down to 2/2. Unlike my breathing pattern which is gasping for breath.

I did have a practice on the treadmill today at 4/4 breathing and found it strange & difficult to maintain. Sometimes I found I found it did not seem like there was enough air in my lungs so had to take an extra large intake of breath. I expect this is because I reached the point where I should of changed to say 3/3 breathing.

I did not give my self a good start as I was trying to run/4/4 breath & chew raisins at the same time!!! The raisins just had to go in the bin as I was sure I was going to breath in and choke on the rasins.