The more efficiently your body can extract oxygen from the air and transfer it to your muscles, the easier your running will feel at any speed.
Better Posture means better breathing; better breathing means better running.
“As we grew up we started sitting more and moving less. Our rib cages no longer oriented gracefully over our pelvic girdles. The stresses of life began to weigh more heavily on us. As a result, we began breathing differently, less optimally. We started breathing more from our chests, using our upper back and neck muscles. Our diaphragms, while designed for breathing, became inhibited by this new pattern of breathing and less than ideal posture. We lost core stability and our backs hurt,” says Dr Mark Cucuzzella from Natural Running Center.
Muscle balance and proper vs improper breathing, explained by Phil Maffetone.
Wim Hof Method
The way you breathe strongly affects the chemical and physiological activities in your body. Throughout the years, Wim Hof has developed special breathing exertions that keep his body in optimal condition and in complete control in the most extreme conditions.
The benefits are countless: more energy, better sleep, better performance, reduce stress, prevent/reduce inflammation, better immune response, lower blood pressure, lower heart rate etc.
Other breathing patterns
Breathing pattern exercise demonstrated by XPT Life and the 5-minute power break by Phil Maffetone.
ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer
The easiest way to ensure that you stay at an easy effort level is to shut your mouth! Breathing in and also out through the nose only. It may take a little time to get used to and it will most probably slow you down to start but stick with it. You’ll soon reap the benefits.
Nasal breathing ensures that you are running aerobically (with oxygen). Other benefits include:
- Filtering of bacteria and germs
- Harnesses nasal nitric oxide which helps open up airways
- Reduces the occurrence of exercise-induced asthma as research shows that oral breathing during exercise increases bronchospasm
- Inspiratory muscle trainer – diaphragm, intercostals, and nasal dilator muscles get activated and strengthened
- Better oxygen delivery to the cells by encouraging diaphragmatic breathing
- Reduces oxidative stress
Danny explains how to run efficiently with nose breathing & belly breathing vs mouth breathing & chest breathing while running.
Breathing techniques by Patrick McKeown
Of each breath taken into the body, 150ml remains in dead space. Breathing a slower respiratory rate reduces amount of air lost to dead space, thereby improving breathing efficiency.
Simple breathing exercises to improve your performance during physical exercise, explained by breathing expert Patrick McKeown.