How a Rhythmic Breathing Method Can Help You Become a Better Runner

Are you struggling to improve your running performance? Or, are you frequently injuring one side? If so, your breathing may be to blame.

Certain running breathing techniques such as rhythmic breathing may help you enhance your active lifestyle performance and reduce the risk of injuries for optimal health.

Keep reading on to learn about the rhythmic breathing method and how it may help your running.

Rhythmic Breathing for Smart Running

When you do strenuous activities like running, your muscles work harder, therefore, needing more oxygen-rich blood. This causes your respiratory system to work harder to supply the required extra oxygen to the muscles.

In addition, rhythmic breathing requires you to breathe in through your mouth, which means you cannot clench your jaw. This will help allow your face and body to relax and can also help improve your running performance.

While enhancing your running performance is great, one of the biggest benefits of rhythmic breathing is that it can reduce some injuries associated with running. When you run, your foot hits the ground with a force that is equivalent to up to 3 times your body weight.

With typical breathing patterns, you usually hit the same foot during the exhalation phase and the opposite foot during the inhalation phase of breathing. The foot that hits the ground during the exhalation phase is at a higher risk of injury. Especially over time, that side of your body is at risk of being worn down.

However, rhythmic breathing helps to overcome this by coordinating your foot strikes with inhalation and exhalation patterns to use an odd and even pattern. This decreases the amount of stress one side of the body receives to help prevent one side from wearing out as quickly.

Inhalation for Rhythmic Breathing

Your breathwork is crucial when learning the rhythmic breathing technique. An easy way to focus on rhythmic breathing while running is to think about becoming a belly breather while you run. Concentrate on your diaphragm contracting while you inhale and your chest and belly expanding.

When your diaphragm is contracting, your core muscles tighten up and become more stable. As a result, your body can absorb the strong impacts of running. The less impact your body takes during running can help reduce injuries.

Exhalation for Rhythmic Breathing

During the beginning of the exhalation phase, breathing has the most significant impact on stress when your foot hits the ground.

During the exhalation phase of breathing, your core is the most relaxed. When the core relaxes, it becomes less stable, causing the body to absorb more impact while running. Over time, if the same side of the body is absorbing all or most of the impact, it will weaken that side and make you more prone to injuries.

Rhythmic Breathing Technique

One example of rhythmic breathing is a 5-count or 3:2 pattern. Many runners find this rhythm the best for them when starting out using rhythmic breathing techniques. However, you may want to adjust the number of breaths-to-steps you inhale and exhale depending on the length and intensity of your run.

For this pattern, you will inhale for 3 steps focusing on contracting your diaphragm and taking large breaths. Then you will exhale for two steps. This gives both sides of your body equal steps during the point where your core is the weakest.

The Best Running Breathing Method: Rhythmic Breathing

If you are looking to improve your running performance or prevent injury, try the rhythmic breathing method. You may be surprised how well it will help your running.

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