Improving breathing during runs

[Kurokawa]

I've been working to improve my running over this past month but with minor success. One thing I have determined, though, is that a big issue is that I do not breathe properly or consistantly. This seems to be the source of everything. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to improve and standardize my breathing to increase my sustained run distance?

Also, I asked my buddy who already earned the title of Marine about this and he suggested exhaling on the left leg, and that it helps prevent stomach cramps. I trust him, but I want to know if this is true for others.

[Pete0331]

I've been working to improve my running over this past month but with minor success. One thing I have determined, though, is that a big issue is that I do not breathe properly or consistantly. This seems to be the source of everything. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to improve and standardize my breathing to increase my sustained run distance?

Also, I asked my buddy who already earned the title of Marine about this and he suggested exhaling on the left leg, and that it helps prevent stomach cramps. I trust him, but I want to know if this is true for others.

First time I have heard of that.

Slow, deep breaths through the nose, hold for a second, slowly exhale out the mouth, one second pause.
Repeat.
Breathing should be in tempo with your running pace.

That is how I breath when I run long distance.

Sound like you just need to concentrate more on actually running then your breathing.

[Kurokawa]

Well, my running is more-or-less fine. My pace may need adjustment, I'm not sure, but I run at what is comfortable and doesn't feel too slow or too fast.

[Pete0331]

Well, my running is more-or-less fine. My pace may need adjustment, I'm not sure, but I run at what is comfortable and doesn't feel too slow or too fast.

Are you training for the IST or the PFT?
Switch to training for the PFT.

[Kurokawa]

I am training for the PFT, because if I can ace that then the IST is no worry.

[cmixcoatl]

When I run, I take one longer breath in through my nose, and exhale two short, crisp ones through my mouth. Very rhythmic, iiiiinnn-out-out, iiinn-out-out. I exhale when my legs come up, kind of letting them push my diaphragm up. I've run like this for years, and it works for me.

[BR34]

Jesus Christ! How can you run while concentrating so hard on breathing? Just take deep breaths, the more oxygen muscles have the better off you'll be.

[JSam]

Not to be a d!ck, but your signature says you run 15:40 IST. So, if that's correct, you CAN'T 'ace' the IST.
And in my nasty civilian opinion, BR34 has the best advice yet.

[Gunner614]

Not to be a d!ck, but your signature says you run 15:40 IST. So, if that's correct, you CAN'T 'ace' the IST.
And in my nasty civilian opinion, BR34 has the best advice yet.

Agreed. Breath it in, blow it out.

[Kurokawa]

Yea, it's a 15:40 with nothing prior for 4.5 years. Not to disrespect BR34, because he has a point, but he leaves out the details that not breathing well plays havoc with your body. Sure I can take in deep breaths, but not done properly you still can get stomache cramps and excessive phlegme build-up.

[BR34]

Yea, it's a 15:40 with nothing prior for 4.5 years. Not to disrespect BR34, because he has a point, but he leaves out the details that not breathing well plays havoc with your body. Sure I can take in deep breaths, but not done properly you still can get stomache cramps and excessive phlegme build-up.

I never get cramps when I run, and I never focus on my breathing. Let it be natural. If you end up with spit in your mouth, fine, drink it, it's extra hydration.

[CAMIRÉ]

Not to be a d!ck, but your signature says you run 15:40 IST. So, if that's correct, you CAN'T 'ace' the IST.
And in my nasty civilian opinion, BR34 has the best advice yet.


Sucking up to NCO isn't going to help you yet.... ;)

The best things for working on your wind is sprints....fartlicks, suicides, and the such.
If you can find a rural area to run, calling cadence while you run will also help. While you are running in bootcamp scream as loud as you can during formation runs, you'll be working your diaphram harder and strengthening your vocal chords.

sprints, sprints, sprints.......and stop thinking about breathing. Your body will take care of that part.

[Kurokawa]

Aye, aye. Thank you Sergeant.

[shnon89]

The breathing portion is what gave me alot of trouble at first. It still does actually but I have never been athletic so to speak actually the only activities I participated in during high school were bowling team and marching band lol. It just takes time. I started breathing in during two steps and then out on the next three it helped now I don't think about it as much. I think I need to work on my form now though.

[JSam]

Sucking up to NCO isn't going to help you yet.... ;)


Can't blame me for trying, Sgt. :D

[NoRemorse]

If you're a sh!tty, shallow chest breather when not running you're gonna be a sh!tty, shallow chest breather when you're running. You're not in labor, breathe into your gut at all times nice and natural and it'll become habit.

When it's habit you can just suck it up and run instead of trying to remember which foot is which breath cycle. It's running, not CPR, since you're not training somebody to be an Olympic level runner just keep it simple.

[thezero]

The best way to go is just let your body breathe naturally. In through the nose out through the mouth if I do recall.

If you start to cramp up while running an easy thing to do is take deeper breathes, and put your hands (or just the hand on the side you are cramping on) on top of or above your head. When you do that you give your lungs more room to expand thus more oxygen and why everyone recommends raising your arms above head/heart level after your run if you are breathing hard

[cmixcoatl]

Jesus Christ! How can you run while concentrating so hard on breathing? Just take deep breaths, the more oxygen muscles have the better off you'll be.


Like I said, it works for me; each to their own. I've competitively boxed for years, and this is how I breathe on my morning cardio.

[stuckinseattle]

I did track at my school to help improve my running, and the main thing you need to worry about when you're just trying to improve your fitness to a good fundamental base is just getting the cardio strength up, which means, as one of the Marines above said I think, do lots of sprints with short recovery periods in between, and do long runs. Alternate between the two, that's what we did in track, try doing a slow, easy pace and do like 2 miles or 3, and ignore the time just keep running the whole time. For the sprints, I don't know what you're already doing but going all out for 100m then walking/jogging 100m to recover is great, or you could do 400s(one lap). Training for racing we did those, starting one every 3 minutes, so you'd run then have whatever part of 3 min left over to rest, then run again, timed at a fast pace(start by doing 4, then move up to 6, then 8 etc).

Any of those things should help...maybe if you're in high school you could talk to the track/cross country coach? They could recommend some things probably.

[rickyracer]

I ran sprints in school.

Running 8 to 10 miles in the corps nearly killed me the whole time I was in.

I still have the same breathing problems I had over 30 years ago.

I never feel like I can get enough air, and I get hot very fast.