How To Breathe While Running
Most runners think about pace and form. Almost none think about breathing. And breathing directly limits your running.
Dejan Koceski
Health & Performance Coach · Melbourne
How To Breathe While Running
Most runners think about their pace, their form, their shoes.
Almost none think about their breathing. And breathing is the one thing that directly limits your running.
Why Breathing Matters
Running is an aerobic activity. Your muscles need oxygen to produce energy. The more efficiently you deliver oxygen, the easier running feels and the further and faster you can go.
Poor breathing - shallow, fast, chest-only - delivers less oxygen, tires you faster, and can produce the side stitches and panic feeling that stop new runners.
Good breathing - deep, rhythmic, belly-driven - delivers more oxygen, keeps you relaxed, and lets you run further with less effort.
The Basics
Breathe through your nose and mouth. The old advice to breathe only through your nose limits your air supply. For most running, breathe through both - whatever gets enough air in. For easy runs, you can practise nasal breathing to build efficiency. For hard efforts, use everything you have.
Breathe from your belly, not your chest. Chest breathing is shallow and inefficient. Belly breathing uses your diaphragm, pulls air deeper into your lungs, and is more efficient. Put a hand on your stomach - it should rise and fall, not your chest.
Find a rhythm. Sync your breathing to your footfalls. A common pattern is 2:2 - inhale for two steps, exhale for two steps. This creates a rhythm that regulates your effort and keeps you relaxed.
For Beginners
If you are new to running, your breathing will feel chaotic. This is normal. Your body is not yet efficient at delivering oxygen. As you run more consistently, your breathing settles.
The fix is not to breathe harder. It is to slow down. Most beginners run too fast. Run at a pace where you could hold a conversation - and your breathing will take care of itself.
As You Improve
As your fitness improves, your breathing becomes slower and deeper at the same pace. A pace that once had you gasping becomes easy. This is one of the clearest signs of improving aerobic fitness.
Do not overthink it. Breathe deep, breathe rhythmic, slow down when it feels hard. The rest is practice.
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