Run Smarter Not Harder: AI Training for Fitness Runners [77c4]

Do you know how to breathe? You might think this is a silly question, but many beginner runners don't use efficient breathing techniques while running. When you run faster, face steeper slopes, or get nervous during a race, you might find yourself out of breath.

A recent study by American health experts shows that whether in developed or developing countries, many people breathe too shallowly during exercise. They often exhale before the fresh air reaches the lower parts of their lungs, meaning they don't absorb the beneficial components of the fresh air.

Breathing seems instinctive for everyone, but during long-distance exercise, the body's demand for oxygen increases. We can clearly feel the pressure of breathing, often described as the heart willing but the body unable. Today, I'll explain how to breathe more efficiently while running~

Why does shortness of breath occur?

1. Shallow breathing

If you usually breathe using your chest, your exhalation is mostly passive, not fully expelling the air from your lungs. This limits the amount of oxygen you can inhale next, a less efficient way of breathing known as shallow breathing.

Muscles need a continuous supply of oxygen to keep working. If you don't inhale enough oxygen, your muscles won't have enough energy, making running increasingly difficult.The way to improve this is by deep breathing, drawing air into the lower parts of your lungs.

2. Poor cardiovascular function

In simple terms, cardiovascular function refers to your ability to inhale oxygen and convert it into energy.It includes the blood's circulation ability, the strength of your heartbeats, and the capacity and frequency of your lungs.The stronger your cardiovascular function, the longer you can exercise without getting tired.

If you're just starting to run, your cardiovascular function might be relatively weak, making it easy to experience shortness of breath. This is because your muscles can't yet absorb enough oxygen to sustain your energy expenditure. The best way to enhance aerobic capacity is through long-distance slow running, which helps your muscles keep up with the oxygen demand.

3. Tense muscles

If your muscles are too tense, you'll easily feel heavy breathing because tense muscles make it difficult for your lungs to push oxygenated blood into your muscle cells. Relaxation is the best way to aid breathing; learn to relax while running. As your running efficiency improves, your oxygen demand decreases, making breathing more natural.

How can you alleviate this?

During exercise, the body's oxygen demand is very high. Efficiently absorbing oxygen and adjusting blood circulation is a must-learn for everyone. Efficient breathing makes exercise more comfortable and effective.

1. Increase exhalation depth

Many people don't pay attention to the depth of their breathing while jogging, leading to shallow and rapid breathing during prolonged exercise, causing chest discomfort and shortness of breath. Some people focus on deep inhalation but neglect deep exhalation.

In fact, during long runs, only by increasing the depth of exhalation can you maximize the body's oxygen needs. Deep exhalation helps expel more waste gases, increasing lung negative pressure, which in turn allows for greater inhalation volume.

2. Coordinate breathing with steps

While running, people generally adjust their breathing rhythm according to their needs. However, breathing rhythm should be closely coordinated with your steps. Typically, the breathing rhythm for jogging is one exhale every 2-3 steps and one inhale every 2-3 steps, maintaining even and deep breaths for a lighter run.

3. Use both mouth and nose to breathe

There are two ways to breathe while running: using only the nose or using both the mouth and nose. To run comfortably, it's important to distinguish the stage and speed of your run. At the beginning of a run or at a slower pace, the oxygen demand is low, and nose breathing alone can suffice.

When running for a longer time or at a faster pace, nose breathing alone can't meet the body's oxygen needs. If you only use nose breathing, your respiratory muscles can become fatigued. At this point, you should open your mouth to assist breathing, relieving the pressure on your respiratory muscles. However, purely mouth breathing isn't ideal either. It's best to slightly open your mouth, gently clench your teeth, curl your tongue tip, and lightly press it against the roof of your mouth while exhaling steadily.

Abdominal breathing can help you breathe more efficiently

Abdominal breathing involves drawing air into the lower parts of your lungs, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system to produce beneficial hormones. Compared to shallow breathing, using deep abdominal breathing with the diaphragm is a highly efficient way to breathe. So how do you practice abdominal breathing?

1. To perform abdominal breathing correctly, you first need a good posture. Bending or slouching compresses the chest and abdominal cavities, reducing inhalation capacity. The compressed diaphragm and core muscles also struggle to activate. Try standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your upper body straight.

2. First, take a light breath and place your hands on your chest and abdomen. Then slowly and deeply exhale through your mouth while gradually contracting your abdomen. You'll feel your diaphragm naturally relax and rise, expelling air from your chest and abdomen.

3. Try to exhale completely, then slowly inhale through your nose, focusing on your abdomen as it expands with the incoming air. You'll feel the diaphragm's tension increase and contract downward, drawing air into your abdomen and gradually filling your entire chest cavity.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times, experiencing the sensation of actively exhaling and passively inhaling. Feel the movements of your chest and abdomen. If it's not going smoothly, check if your upper body is upright and if your inhalation and exhalation are slow and deep. Focus on your abdomen, initiating the breath from there and guiding air in and out through your mouth and nose.