Week 2, day 1 - breathing!

[Gonks4life]

I'm listening to Laura's podcast. Today she said to breathe in for 4 counts in time with left foot hitting ground, but I really struggled and felt like I needed to breathe in more frequently - any breathing tips please? Thanks in advance ☺️

[chrisl72 Graduate]

I have managed to breathe in for 8 steps and out for 8 steps. It was a struggle but had the effect of keeping my pace down, which is what I was aiming for. However, a nurse friend told me that we naturally exhale twice as long as inhaling (it's apparently how they set up ventilators) and I have found that much more comfortable as a baseline. I did an 'easy' run earlier today and was varying between in for 5 steps out for 10, and in for 4 steps out for 8. That's a breathing rate that I equate with a conversational pace, given that I run alone!

[Gonks4life in reply to chrisl72]

Thank you, thats really helpful.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

Me personally? I recommend breathing. I have never managed any other pattern than what comes naturally to me! If you can’t hold a conversation out loud without gasping, you’re probably going a bit fast so slowing down is a good idea. That’s the main thing to think about!

[SkiMonday Graduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Yes, breathing. Highly recommend!

Instead of trying to control my breathing, I use my breathing as a guide to how much effort I'm putting in. Especially on C25k, if you're breathing heavily, you're going too fast. Which ties in nicely with the whole "conversational pace" guidance.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to SkiMonday]

This is so right! I’ve always found my issues with breathing resolve when I run at the right pace!

[Hedgehogs123 Graduate]

I have to say I just try and breathe normally,natural and not forcing anything. Half the time I don't think about my breathing. When I'm on a long run and getting tired, I'm then a bit more conscious of slowing my breathing down , making sure I'm not not slouching forward which I understand restricts your lungs and just getting it back to normal controlled breathing. I think if you worry about it too much, it will restrict rather than help you.

[backintime Graduate]

Another vote for doing what comes naturally. In the beginning, during the warm up walk, I try and breathe out as much as possible, all the way until I can't breathe out anymore, and then a big deep breath in - I do that a couple of times and then just let what comes naturally happen.

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Breathing tips ?

Yes : Just breathe naturally, it's worked everyday so far 😁

As MissUnderstanding has said, as long as you are at a conversational pace then don't be concerned with a specific method

[Wavy-chick28 Graduate]

It takes time to get the breathing right but it comes and even seasoned runners sometimes have to stop to get back into the right rhythm !

[JetsNanna Graduate]

I tried the whole 4 in 4 out thing when I was using the podcast - couldn’t do it then and can only do it now by concentrating so hard that I don’t enjoy my runs. It’s the least helpful bit of advice in the entire program. Echoing the advice you’ve been given by most posters - just breathe how you need to but if you are feeling especially breathless make sure you do a big deliberate *exhale* because that’ll help you more than doing a gasping breath in. All to do with CO2 excretions.

[MrBassmanjazz Graduate]

This might work for some. Not for me. If you think you might need to breathe in - Breathe In! I found, after a while, I didn't think about breathing. If I did - I was probably going too fast

[Liono Graduate]

I found when I started C25K that I was already breathing on a 4-count when Laura mentioned it. I wondered if it was something I'd previously been taught whilst doing cross country at school many years ago. I find it a really helpful indicator of pace as unless I'm going up hill, if I can't manage a 4-count it usually means I'm going too fast. But I am sure it gets easier the longer you have been running so I wouldn't worry too much about it - as others have said, just remembering to breathe regularly is the most important thing 😄

[SlowRunner46 Graduate]

I find the more I think about my breathing the weirder it gets. Trying to breathe unnaturally to a running pattern sometimes makes it harder for me to run. I just breathe.

When I first completed this a few years ago I tried to “do the breathing “ and it never worked. As my fitness improved it just became easier to breathe. Hope that helps - just keep running and breathing 😊