Q&A for How to Control Breathing While Running

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Is it better to breathe through your nose or mouth when running?

Shira Tsvi
Personal Trainer & Fitness Instructor
Shira Tsvi is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor with over 7 years of personal training experience and over 2 years leading a group training department. Shira is certified by the National College of Exercise Professionals and the Orde Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports in Israel. Her practice is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Shira Tsvi

Personal Trainer & Fitness Instructor

Expert Answer

It's best to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth if you can. Use your diaphragm when you breathe and let your stomach inflate when you inhale. This will keep your shoulders up and make it much easier to maintain a good posture and breathing pattern as you run.

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Question

I have breathing problem when I am running a mile race. What can I do to get rhythmic control over my breath?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Great question. A mile race is considered a short distance. I suggest you focus on your exhale and coordinate it with your foot fall, maybe every second step. The inhale will happen, just exhale as forcefully as you can. It takes a great deal of practice to train your breathing. Try practicing some longer runs to make sure you are in great shape to race a mile.The more running you do, the more your breathing will fall into a pattern.

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Question

How can I increase my lung capacity for running?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Running hills and doing sprints are two great ways to improve your respiratory function in the long-term.

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Question

How do I control my breathing when running?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

To control your breathing and avoid running out of breath, find a rhythm of inhales/exhales that is in time with your footfalls.

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Question

How can I improve my breathing while running?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Regular running practice will help your cardiovascular system gradually adjust to increasingly more difficult demands for running. In particular, running uphill, although hard, will improve your breathing the rest of the time.

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Question

How can I run without getting out of breath?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

While breathing to a rhythm as you run can help, continued practice is the only way to improve your breathing capacity. The good news is that, the more you run, the easier the breathing will become!

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Question

What is an exercise that can help reduce panting?

Community Answer

Focus on taking deep, controlled breath during running. When you feel yourself start to get tired, slow down your running pace and adjust your breath accordingly. Try to get the most out of each and every breath.

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Question

Why do I feel breathless after physical activity?

Community Answer

That's totally normal. Strenuous exertion causes your body to use up oxygen at an accelerated rate. When you start getting out of breath, slow down and give your lungs a chance to catch up. After your workout, get your breathing under control to replenish the oxygen in your body and make sure you're hydrated.

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Question

How do I run very fast and control my breathing for track?

Community Answer

Practice at home. Run in place and look at your breathing. At track practice, start running slow and then catch your speed. When you are comfortable, run as fast as you can and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

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Question

How do I breathe for a 200 meter race?

Community Answer

A 200 meter race is considered a sprint, and breathing with your stomach allows for the maximum amount of air to be circulated through your body. Additionally, you should breathe with your mouth, as opposed to in and out through your nose.

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Question

How do I run 400 meters within 2 minutes?

Noorjahan Rahman

Community Answer

Start by running shorter distances first. Do a 200 meter race and time yourself. Keep practicing the 200 meter race until you can do it in less than 2 minutes. If you think that you are fast enough for a 400 meter race to be done within 2 minutes, do loads of leg exercises first and make sure that you don't get out of breath by not breathing the same time whilst moving your legs. Drink plenty of water before the race. Also another tip is that, forget you're running a 400 meter run. Pretend a loved one is in a fire or about to die and they are 400 meters away, that should boost up your energy and pace because you care about them.

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Question

I have a breathing problem. When I run I begin to taste a metallic taste, similar to blood, at the back of my throat. What's happening?

Community Answer

Your mouth is drying out, the wind is to strong and your breathing too much. You need to slow down and drink something.

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