When running, your whole system is doing its best to keep your body running and heart pumping blood to your working muscles; breathing ensures your body’s functions. Therefore, it is essential to learn how to regulate your breathing while running; otherwise you will get out of breath and obstruct your training performance.

Here some tips and strategies so your breathing does not get out of control. Thus you can get the most out of your training program.

Step 1: Nose or mouth?

The best way to breath should in through the nose and out through the mouth. Exhaling through the mouth removes carbon dioxide from your body and stimulates relaxation and concentration. Inhaling through the nose ensures the maximum delivery of oxygen into your blood stream. When running, you body needs as much oxygen as it can get.

Step 2: Rhythmic breathing

Many runners hold their breath or forget to breathe properly when running; this can be a bit of a challenge. The best way to solve this is through rhythmic breathing; also known as breathing cadence, it helps you regulate your breathing and keeps it a steady tempo.

If you are a beginner, you could try a 3:2 breathing cadence, this means that you take 3 steps on the inhale, and 2 steps on each exhale. Of course, the ratio depends entirely on the intensity of training and your fitness level.

Step 3: Deep breathing

When running, sooner or later, your body will beg for oxygen, this deprivation will slow you down, causing fatigue and side stitches. You can tackle this by taking some deep breaths can reduce this lack of oxygen, and ensure the proper functioning of your body. But sometimes, you may need to slow or walk briskly in order to catch a breath and recover.

Chest breathing does not allow deep breathing; instead you should get your diaphragm involved in the process. Diaphragm breathing will not only enhance your athletic performance, but it will enrich the quality of your life.

Step 4: Relax

A tensed body is more likely to get out of breath fast and tire soon; therefore relaxation can lessen tremendously the workload on your lungs and cardiovascular system. When the body is relaxed, you focus heightens and your running performance gets through the roof.

Tension is unconscious process, it happens on its own; you don’t even need to think about it. But relaxation is a conscious process, meaning that you need to practice it throughout the workout.