When gyms were closed due to the COVID-19, many people turned to home and self-workouts to stay fit and active. Among these workouts, running becomes much more popular because you don’t need any special equipment or apparatus to start jogging, and you can easily maintain the social distance outside. Running is a wonderful aerobic exercise that may help you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Even 30 minutes of moderate-intensity running each day can give numerous benefits. The only caveat to running is that you must maintain proper form and breathing. Correct form decreases the danger of injury, and breathing in a rhythmic pattern can help you run faster and longer. In this article, let’s understand why correct breathing is essential and the right way to do it.
Why breathing correctly is important?
Most of us have a habit of holding our breath when doing activities. This can result in high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, and even a heart attack. Breathing correctly improves the effectiveness of your training, develops your cardiovascular system, and minimizes muscle stiffness. Even when jogging, regular breathing can help you run faster, which is crucial for people trying to burn calories, lose weight, or train for a marathon.
Correct way:
When jogging, the best technique to breathe is to match your breath to your strike. Correct your form first, and then match your breathing to your foot strike. Between your right and left foot strikes, exhale and inhale alternately. Breathing rhythmically allows you to take in more oxygen without putting your body under stress. To breathe more efficiently, maintain your spine upright, face forward, and relax your shoulders.
Also read: Why Low-intensity workout is ideal for beginners? Know the benefits and exercises
We can breathe in via the nose and exhale out through the mouth while doing any workout. When it comes to running, there are two approaches you can take. Inhale deeply via your nose and exhale deeply through your mouth, or do both through your mouth. To satisfy the increased oxygen requirements of the muscles during an intense running session, it is recommended to breathe in and out via your mouth. You may feel dizzy or lightheaded if you are not breathing properly.
Tips to improve breathing while running?
It may be tough at first to match your breathing rate to your running pace. You can practice equal breathing techniques to get into the habit of breathing appropriately.
- Close your eyes and sit in a peaceful location.
- Slowly inhale and exhale to relax.
- Take four deep breaths through your nose.
- Take a few seconds to let the air in your lungs settle.
- Take a four-second exhale through your nose.
