Breathing struggle

Just started app again after diagnosis of spinal arthritis. But I struggle with breathing. I witnessed my dad die struggling to breathe so it brings it all back to me when I'm short of breath. I panic and have to really talk to myself!! Does anyone else understand this?

[Sham19]

Yes totally. I’m asthmatic and for some strange reason was always scared of ‘losing control’ of my breathing, there are lots of videos on breathing and breathing exercises. Google and YouTube are your friends 🙂 they work! I know I tried them 🙂 as well as a tweak in my asthma meds. I thought I wouldn’t be able to C25K outside in winter because of my breathing but I did and so can you. I found and most new runners find that eventually your body finds its own breathing rhythm and you won’t even remember breathing was an issue. So practice breathing exercises and get out there and you will smash I promise 🙂

[Hidden in reply to Sham19]

Thankyou. Hope you keep going.

[Sham19 in reply to Hidden]

I have no plans to stop as I’m now a total running addict and hate sodding rest days 😂

[Hidden in reply to Sham19]

The 🤭🤭🤭

[Hidden]

It is really difficult when you get into a cycle of symptom (being out of breath) leading to anxiety, which in turn leads to symptoms (hyperventilating). Of course this is completely understandable after what happened to your Dad.

I would recommend looking into some mindfulness/meditation apps; to pull you back into the moment rather than overthinking everything and setting up the anxiety cycle.

Good luck

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Putting the mental aspect aside, if you are struggling to breathe when running, then you are going too fast.

A slow pace triggers adaptation, builds stamina and makes it easier and more enjoyable and slow runners live longer.

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Am not going too fast! Have completed couch to 5k before but had to stop because of undiagnosed back pain. This has now been sorted. So know how it works. Just find it hard psychologically being short of breath.

[Alast]

Hello DD. I've never been a runner and was not an athletic child (understatement!) although I could run around and cycle a bit, just not as much as some of my mates (but that was because I was a 'weed'). I've been playing (gentle) squash for 40 odd years, but that's only short bursts. A few years ago I discovered that I appeared to have a phobia about running (I've no idea where it came from). If I decided to (say) run to the next lamp post, I'd take a few steps, my chest would tighten and I just had to stop. (If it was raining, I found I had no difficulty running through a car park to get to my car, so it was clearly a mental thing!). Although I'd thought of many solutions (hypnotherapy was what I mostly considered) I never got around to doing anything about it. A few months ago I decided that I ought to improve my health and when I found out about C25K I thought it would be a simple way to do that, no expensive gym membership (and more importantly, none of the shame I would feel being in the same room as 'proper fit people'), plus it should help me beat this silly phobia. I've just re-started from week 1 again after falling off the programme before Christmas. The furthest I'd got was to week 4, so after struggling with 60 second runs to start with I finally (just) managed to run for 5 minutes. I'm not finding it easy, but knowing that I've already run for 60 seconds (for example), I have the confidence that I'll be able to do it again. I am sure that for me this challenge is 75% mental and only 25% physical. I'd say to try and stick at it and see how you get on. As you've seen, this is a wonderful community, you will get lots of support and advice on here. Good luck with it and please let us know how you get on.

[Hidden in reply to Alast]

Thanks. I know C25K works as have completed it all previously, it's just the breathing that gets in the way. I'll stick at it. Hope yours goes well.

[Fleetnot Graduate]

Anxiety causes physical symptoms with the feeling of not being able to take a full breath being a common and distressing one. I would suggest that there are 2 main issues

Firstly a lot of the techniques to manage anxiety are difficult to implement mid run! However distraction can work and listening to a podcast as has been recommended on another post may help. Secondly I know watching a parent fight for breath is hugely traumatic. If you haven't already it may be worth seeking support for this. There are many ' talking therapies' and despite practitioners often being biased in favour of theirs the evidence is they are all beneficial. Anxiety is normal following any type of trauma and to have support with this can really help. I'm a health professional but recognised I needed help following a diagnosis and it really helped.

[Hidden in reply to Fleetnot]

Thankyou. I have started to play music in order to distract my thoughts. I will continue as I know that dad would want me to.

[Fleetnot Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Very best wishes.