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Breathing Rhythm

Running / Popular

Coordinate breathing patterns with stride for endurance.

What coaches agree on

  • Coordinate your breathing to a fixed number of steps - inhale and exhale over the same short count, such as 2 steps in and 2 out (or 3 and 3), at an easy pace - and shorten that ratio, for example to 2 steps in and 1 out, as your pace or effort increases.
  • Breathe deeply into your belly using your diaphragm rather than shallowly into your chest and shoulders; build this by lying down with a hand on your belly and practicing feeling it rise with each inhale.
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  • Favor breathing in and out through your nose at easy efforts, then progressively open up to nose-in/mouth-out and finally full mouth breathing as your pace and effort climb.

Common mistakes

  • Breathing too fast and shallow - often from starting out harder than you should - drops your carbon dioxide too low, which paradoxically increases breathlessness, dizziness, and burns through energy faster instead of helping.
Optimal Breathing
Intermediate

Optimal Breathing

Coach's take: The most authoritative, data-backed breathing video in this batch.

3.9