Running is a wonderful exercise that almost anybody can do, and it seems that everybody here in Australia actually does! You don’t need any special equipment, tools, or a fancy environment. Of course, it would be best if you got yourself a pair of nice quality running shoes, but if you only run here and there to ban stress from your day, that’s not necessary. On the other hand, if you’re an avid runner who collects their miles, you should pay attention to various things, from your footwear to the ground you’re running on and your overall feeling throughout your practice. If you fear that you’re having problems breathing, don’t be afraid. It’s a fairly common problem in runners, and it can be solved. First, ask yourself where it might be coming from; once you know what causes your difficulties breathing, you’ll know where to go from there.
The Causes – Why You Are Short of Breath
There are many reasons for you to have issues breathing while running, and you need to find the one that’s causing yours so you can prevent it. For example, you may be just a beginner whose overall physical fitness is not great. If you then begin to work out, you may find yourself short of breath during your first workouts. Even if you’re lifting weights regularly, when you switch to running, you may experience the same. Then there’s age: after you turn 30, the rate of air flow through your lungs will decline slowly, thus resulting in you struggling to get enough air during physical exertion. Some more serious issues include your health: for example, heart disease, hypertension or respiratory diseases can all cause trouble while exercising. To make sure you are actually allowed to engage in physical activity, please talk to your GP. Even if you suffer from asthma, a respiratory disease that can wreak havoc on your breathing, medicine can treat it successfully and make it possible for you to run without the annoying and unpleasant wheezing and gasping.
Know the How of Breathing
When we were little, we were taught in PE classes that we should breathe through our noses. But this advice is outdated. Breathing through your nose exclusively doesn’t have any effect on your breathing overall – you just need air flowing, and your lungs don’t really know where it comes from! Breathing through your mouth is easier, so don’t beat yourself up if that’s your preferred way. However, if you don’t breathe through your nose not just because it’s more difficult, but because it’s virtually impossible, you might be onto a more severe issue. Maybe it would be worth exploring the prospects of doing a nose job in Sydney-based clinics – sometimes it can actually enable a person to experience effortless breathing for the first time in their life!
Master Your Posture
If you’re sitting or lying down at the moment, go check yourself in the mirror. Walk to the mirror as you normally would, and evaluate what you see. If you’re not carrying your head high, and your shoulders back, start doing so immediately! Not only a good posture is prettier to see, but it opens up your chest and makes it easier to breathe. A valuable ally in maintaining good posture is deep tissue massage. If you tell your massage therapist about the struggles you have when you breathe during your run, they can make sure that your abdomen, chest, back and shoulders are nice and loose, which will facilitate breathing.
Introduce Some Rhythm
To your breathing, that is. Some runners are too concerned with actually making it to the finish line, even when just practicing or jogging lightly, that they won’t pay attention to how they breathe, nor will they think about it. And the key is there: you need to make sure that there is a rhythm to your breathing. You can inhale for two-foot strikes and then exhale for two-foot strikes. It doesn’t have to be two, nor a perfect match. It could be 3/3 for you, or 3/2. Experiment a bit and you’re likely to discover what works best. The most important thing is to get you breathing in sync with your strides, whatever the count.
If You Don’t Warm Up, Go Home
Everybody and their grandmother know the importance of warming up prior to any exercise – but it still doesn’t mean that everybody and their grandmother actually do it. Apart from getting your body ready for exercise and minimizing potential injuries, warming up will make your breathing in tone with your performance. Probably even professional athletes would huff and puff and have difficulties breathing if they start their running practice at a faster pace than their warm-up pace is. The slower you start, the more gently you warm up, and the easier you’ll breathe during your run.
The good news about your issues breathing? Most runners eventually solve their breathing problems. Your best bet is to find a great warm-up routine you will be looking forward to, slowly build your endurance, and improve your posture. For more severe issues, there are radical solutions – but nevertheless, anything is worth the ability to breathe without thinking about it. Happy run!
