Cardiac output is defined as the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute. During exercise, your cardiac output increases because the heart beats faster. This helps deliver more blood and oxygen to your brain, muscles and other vital organs. Your body may actually need three or four times your normal cardiac output during exercise to maintain blood pressure and supply oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. Practicing proper breathing techniques during exercise increases the amount of oxygen getting into your system, making your cardiac output more efficient.
Step 1
Identify shallow breathing. Shallow breathing is defined as quick, short breaths from your chest. You can feel like you are gasping for air and not able to relax. This means you are not getting enough oxygen into your lungs and your body. If you are having trouble breathing during exercise or any activity, you have either started out too quickly without warming up properly, or you are going too fast for your fitness level.
Step 2
Learn how to belly breathe. Deep breathing is where you are relaxed and able to take in a full breath of oxygen. Use an exercise to practice this. Put your hand over your belly button. Breathe in deeply. Feel your belly rise and lower with each breath. That is deep breathing. If your belly does not move, you are still shallow breathing from your chest and not your belly. During exercise, practice this same belly breathing. Make sure you are fully relaxed. If you are tight or anxious, your body will not be able to take in deep breaths. Then pull in a deep breath and feel it go all the way to your belly. Exhale slowly and maintain this comfortable, relaxed breathing for the duration of your workout.
Step 3
Adopt a 3:2 inhale to exhale ratio. These are deep, full breaths that you inhale as you walk or run with left, right, left steps and exhale on the left, right steps. This pattern will help you concentrate on your breathing so you don't breathe too shallow or too quickly. You will also notice more efficient cardiac output because you are able to get more oxygen in.
Step 4
Inhale and exhale through your mouth and nose. This helps you take in deeper breaths and more oxygen. Do not hold your breath because this can cause you to gasp for air or breathe too quickly afterward. Pay attention to your breath when you exhale and allow your belly to retract naturally. Do not force an inhale or exhale.
Step 5
Perform a talk test. When you are exercising, most of the time you should be at a pace where you can talk. This means you are working at an aerobic level and getting enough oxygen for your pace. If you are moving at a slow pace and still cannot speak more than a few words at a time, your breathing is too shallow. This can be exhausting and decrease the amount of oxygen in your cardiac output.
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